On the field, they were double trouble for opposing teams.

Now, Pleasant Valley’s Alexandra Bush and Brielle McInaw will be taking their lacrosse talents to the next level.

Bush has signed to play for St. Francis University of Pennsylvania, and McInaw will help begin a first-year lacrosse program at Farleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

Bears coach Toni Bush has been witness to the development of both girls through the years.

“Alex was just five years old when she started with our (youth) program,” said Bush, whose voice was filled with emotion while speaking about her daughter. “She’s our longest running player who came up to play high school lacrosse - which we’ve only had as a varsity sport for six seasons at Pleasant Valley.

“She’s had to battle through an injury that shut her down for a while and of course, COVID, like everyone else has.”

Bush complimented Alex’s force and leadership on the field. “Her physical strength has improved, and she’s learned to control her tremendous passion for the game to where her composure has added so much more to her natural talents.”

Coach Bush also had high praise for the athletic growth shown by McInaw.

“Brielle has been a (youth) program girl since she was nine or 10 years old,” said Bush. “Her game has improved every year because her confidence has gotten so much better. I write player evaluations of each player beginning in their freshman year, and the growth in Brielle’s abilities has been tremendous.”

Both players enjoyed incredible senior seasons that included an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship and a District 11 Class 3A second-place finish. The duo combined for an incredible 191 goals and 52 assists this past year.

Both have come a long way since they started playing the sport.

Alex remembers how it all began for her lacrosse career.

“Mom started a program for the Pleasant Valley Youth Association when I was about five years old,” she explained. “It was just intramurals at first, but then as I got older, I always played with and against girls who were a few grades older than me.”

Alex jumped into club play for the Triple Threat Elite when she was in the fifth grade and played in tournaments every weekend. She trained to get quicker with her feet, especially with pivoting so she could get by and through defending players.

“I played soccer, too, but I love the physical part of lacrosse so I needed to get stronger,” she said.

Alex finished her Pleasant Valley career with 245 goals, including 98 this season.

“I’ve learned how to read the goalie,” she said. “You look in her eyes and you get her to guess one way, and then shoot to a different part of the goal. The goal is a lot smaller than a soccer goal, so you have to be accurate with your shot.”

McInaw began her lacrosse career playing alongside Alex many years ago. She also played soccer when she was younger, and played some field hockey as well. Her reason for sticking with lacrosse over the other two can be summed up in one word.

“Friends,” she said. “The same kids came up in the program, and we’ve played together all the way through high school.”

McInaw - who is also a club player with Triple Threat Elite - erupted as a scorer this season, tallying 93 goals to bring her career total to 212.

She calls her goal-scoring ability a “surprise” to opposing teams.

“I like to start off slow with the ball, and then use my speed around the net to surprise the goalie with a shot she might not be looking for,” she explained.

She is most proud that her team made school history this year.

“We’re still a really young program, and we won the EPC championship this year and got to the district finals,” McInaw said. “They were huge accomplishments.”

McInaw - who is used to the ups and downs of a fledgling program - will help FDU start its first competitive season. She intends to major in health sciences and become a physical therapist.

Together, Bush and McInaw helped build a program from the ground up that eventually reached the stars this year.

As they move forward, the pair will use their talents to help their college teams shoot for the moon beginning next year.