Allie Rothenberger played a major role in building the Abington Heights girls lacrosse program into a conference and district power.
As she prepares to hand the baton to her friend and teammate, Morgan Davis, they aim to create another memorable experience.
Both Rothenberger, who forged a lasting legacy, and Davis, a second-year star, lead the Lady Comets into the District 2 Class 2A postseason as the two-time defending champions. They are determined and focused on maintaining the standard of excellence steadily built for a program that started in 2017.
“It’s been nothing short of amazing being a part of this program,” Rothenberger said. “It is surreal. It seems that the program has been around forever, but it really hasn’t. We followed in the footsteps of the players who got it going, and we watched how hard they worked. We have carried that and worked just as hard.”
It took Abington Heights girls lacrosse only two seasons to earn a .500 record in the Wyoming Valley Conference. Then, after the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 season, the Lady Comets started their trek toward a championship level.
Abington Heights finished 7-6 in the WVC in 2021, was 9-5 in 2022 and pushed Wyoming Area in the District 2 Class 2A quarterfinals. Emily Bartell was one of those standout players who helped establish the foundation for the future Lady Comets and scored 100 career goals.
In 2023, the Lady Comets became a force. They were the runner-up to Crestwood in the WVC and had a 13-1 record. Crestwood defeated Abington Heights, 17-5, in the regular season, but in the rematch for the District 2 Class 2A title, Bartell scored four goals and Caly Yankow, another pillar of the program, had three in a 12-8 loss.
For the past three years, Rothenberger, a freshman on that 2023 team, carried that experience. She has been the catalyst for sustained success.
Two seasons ago, as a sophomore, the speedy midfielder had 50 goals and 33 assists and earned The Times-Tribune Player of the Year. She led the Lady Comets to the District 2 Class 2A championship and the PIAA playoffs.
Last season, Rothenberger was selected as the WVC Coaches’ Player of the Year after scoring 70 goals, including nine in the PIAA tournament. Abington Heights won a second straight District 2 title.
In her senior year, Rothenberger committed to Rider University, and fueled a dominant run for the Lady Comets in 2026.
“It’s been crazy,” Rothenberger said. “The time has flown by. I feel like I was just a freshman making the varsity team, and now this season, I am a captain. I am a perfectionist, and I have worked on my game. Coach Becky (Davis) has always told me to believe in myself, and that has played a big part in my success.”
Last season, Davis made quite a first impression as a freshman. With her mom as a successful coach, her passion for lacrosse started as early as kindergarten.
During club lacrosse, her quickness and skills helped build a reputation for being a dynamic scorer. As a freshman, Davis had 83 goals and 29 assists during the Lady Comets’ dominant run to the district title, and earned The Times-Tribune Player of the Year.
“Lacrosse has always been in my life,” Davis said. “I am around it all the time. I don’t see a time when it won’t be impacting me.”
With Rothenberger and Davis returning as a tandem, expectations were high for the Lady Comets.
They have lived up to the hype.
This season, Rothenberger has 53 goals, 24 assists and 58 draw controls, and scored her 200th career goal.
“It’s been so great,” Davis said. “I call (Allie) my left-hand man because she is a lefty. She does all the middie runs and is always hustling with our defensive runs.”
In addition to Rothenberger’s offensive effort, Davis has 71 goals, 19 assists and 84 draw controls. She scored her 100th career goal during the season and has 201 career points in two seasons.
“Our chemistry off the field is just as good as it is on the field,” Rothenberger said. “We are very positive with each other.”
Abington Heights scored 20 or more goals six times. The Lady Comets posted impressive nonleague wins against Lewisburg and Allentown Central Catholic. Their only setback is a 5-4 loss to Parkland, which is 13-5 overall as a Class 3A team from District 11.
In the WVC, Abington Heights earned a 15-11 win over Crestwood in the WVC’s most intense rivalry and needs only a win over Tunkhannock on May 6 to wrap up the conference title.
“I am super happy the way this team has come together,” Davis said. “We work hard in practice. We saw the potential this group had, and we are really working to achieve our goals.”
After the regular season concludes, the focus shifts to a push toward a third straight District 2 Class 2A championship.
“This year, since January, we have developed a culture that is disciplined, and we hold ourselves accountable,” Rothenberger said. “We push each other every day in practice. We can’t get complacent. We have been doing so well, but we have to keep working hard. We know what it is like to rise and win. We also know that any team can beat us if we are not on top of our game.”
