BETHLEHEM — The Pleasant Valley and Nazareth girls lacrosse teams know each other very well from this 2026 season.

The two teams met once in the regular season, and then again in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship game, splitting the games with the Bears winning in March and the Eagles taking the EPC title game earlier last week.

They were the one and two seeds in the EPC Tournament, and then flip-flopped positions in the District 11 3A tournament, which began earlier this week for both teams.

Second-seeded Pleasant Valley was able to defend its title as it downed top-seeded Nazareth 13-12 in overtime Thursday night at Lehigh University’s Ulrich Complex in the district final.

Rylee Rath netted the game-winner with just 26 seconds left in the first overtime period.

“It was such a cool moment,” said Rath. “To be able to win a district championship for your team is an amazing feeling. My teammates did a great job getting the ball to me, and I was able to find the winner.”

Rath finished with seven of her team’s 13 goals and added two assists.

She was tough to deal with all night, running away from Blue Eagles defenders when PV was holding a late lead in the fourth quarter.

Rath also spent time in the circle taking all of the draw controls for her team.

“I like to be around the ball and help my team in any way I can,” Rath said. “Whatever needs to be done, I do my best to accomplish it.”

Her running mate on the night was Brielle Halamar, who tallied five goals. Gabby Kutzler rounded out the scoring with a goal in the fourth quarter that gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 12-11 with 6:59 remaining.

For three-and-a-half quarters, Pleasant Valley was forced to play from behind.

Nazareth scored the game’s first four goals in the opening quarter before Rath’s tally with 3:32 left in the frame put PV on the scoreboard. The Eagles took a 4-2 lead after one, and an 8-5 advantage into halftime. They took their largest margin of the night out of intermission with back-to-back goals to go ahead 10-5, just about five minutes into the third quarter, but then the Bears began their rally.

Rath and Halamar combined for five unanswered goals in the final 7:04 of the third to tie the score at 10-10 after three.

Nazareth found the back of the net just 59 seconds into the fourth to go up 11-10, but that would be its final lead of the night. Halamar tied the score again 55 seconds later on a free position goal, and then Kutzler took a pass from Rath after a long Bears possession of passing around the circle and put her team back in front with a goal with 6:59 to play.

PV was able to then hold onto the ball for nearly six minutes before the Blue Eagles forced a turnover and raced down field to tie the game once again with just 46 seconds left.

But in the overtime period, Rath won the draw control and then finished off the game with a shot that flew past the Nazareth goalie.

“We didn’t want to take any chances,” said Rath. “Overtime is golden goal so we knew we had to win the draw and go score, and that’s what we did.”

Pleasant Valley improves to 21-2 on the season and will advance to the PIAA state tournament.

THE WRATH OF RATH ... Rath scored Pleasant Valley’s first goal of the game and its last, finishing with seven total, near impossible to stop in front of net.

BOTH WAYS ... Not only was Rath on the scoring end of more than half her team’s goals, she also set up two and was the main draw control specialist, winning a number of draw controls to put the Bears on attack.

THREE’S DELIGHT ... Pleasant Valley has now won three consecutive district titles, the first team to win three in-a-row since Parkland won four straight from 2016-19.

Pleasant Valley 2 4 4 2 1 - 13

Nazareth 4 6 0 2 0 - 12

Goals: Pleasant Valley - Rylee Rath 7, Brielle Halamar 5, Gabby Kutzler 1; Nazareth - Morgan Koch 4, Natalie Mihalko 3, Keeley Kershner 3, Mia Pulliam 2; Assists: Pleasant Valley - Rylee Rath 2; Nazareth - Ashley Stouffer 3, Parker Golden 2, Mia Pulliam 1, Natalie Mihalko 1, Keeley Kershner 1, Morgan Koch 1; Saves: Pleasant Valley - Emilynn Stipeck 5; Nazareth - Macey Tonkay 5.

Records: Pleasant Valley (21-2); Nazareth (20-2).