Kevin Perrington-TurnerAsbury Park Press
UPPER FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP -- The matchup between the Allentown girls lacrosse team against Manasquan has been an unexpected grudge the past three years--and Monday's South Jersey Group 2 semifinals rematch raised the stakes even more.
In a thriller that ended in overtime, junior Mya Lourenco scored the winner in Allentown's 14-13 triumph.
Allentown High, located in southwestern Monmouth County, is a former member of the Shore Conference that now is in the Colonial Valley Conference. The girls lacrosse team has stay connected with Shore teams, having played this season Trinity Hall, Shore Regional, Southern Regional and Rumson-Fair Haven (winning three of those games and losing to Rumson).
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And the Allentown and Manasquan teams are especially well aware of each other. Before Monday, Allentown won the last two out of three matchups around this time of the year. Last season the Redbirds also beat Manasquan in the section semifinals, 10-5, so their players were glad history repeated itself.
But Lourenco of Allentown said her team knew this was a completely different ball game.
"Clean slate," said Lourenco. "We honestly knew that they're such a good opponent and we have to forget about anything that happened last year and focus on our team this year and how much we've grown."
The winning play
Coming from behind the net, Lourenco danced around the crease and made a diving shot between two defenders for the score.
"Hearing my coach call the play for me was definitely a little nerve-wracking," said Lourenco who finished with a hat trick. "I knew I was going to either have to take it all the way in or it could've cost my team the win so I saw the opportunity to go left-handed behind my defender and it went in my favor."
"When I was watching tape, that side they play, they didn't send the extra slider and we had that stoppage in time and we were like, 'let's dial it up,' " Allentown head coach Justin Schmid said. "I don't know how she tip-toed that line but I love that kid."
Close back-and-forth all game
The game itself was tight-knit the whole way. Allentown's biggest lead was three goals in the third quarter, but the Warriors came storming back to get the lead with 6:28 to go in the fourth quarter thanks to a Bianca Chiarella goal of an assist by Julianna Farinacci. But a Chloe Conti score for Allentown tied the game up with 58 seconds left in regulation to send the game to extra minutes.
It's ironic that it was a junior to score the winning goal being that four seniors didn't play the first half due to 'violating team policy.' Lourenco and the rest of her team knew they had to step up big so their season wouldn't end on their home field.
"We have nothing to lose we just have to put everything into this game and this could be the ending to our season if we weren't able to pull this out," Lourenco said. "Our seniors didn't start the game so we all had to step up extra to play for our seniors."
Allentown next faces Haddonfield, a squad that has outscored its last two opponents in the playoffs 45-6. Last year Haddonfield took the crown over Allentown and by a 13-4 score.
"Wish we had a few more days to prepare but we know what they are," said Schmid. "They're I think the best team in the state... they've been ripping people, we know what weaknesses we had from that game and use this tough schedule, we could not be more prepared to play them in this very moment. We gotta go out, execute, have a good practice tomorrow and see what happens."
Season-ender for senior-heavy Manasquan girls lacrosse
Manasquan's 12 seniors came to the end of the road in their high school athletic careers. Seniors Belle Porazzo and Chiarella each led the team with four goals. Senior Talia Blum had a goal, and senior Julianna Farinacci had two goals. Head coach Maria Eldridge said she was proud of her girls this season and was emotional for her players and her seniors.
"It's been fun to watch them, they're a great group," Eldridge said. "I've seen those girls play since third grade so to see what they've grown into and the comradery they have between that senior class is just really special.
"Biggest (senior group) I ever had, 12 girls and it's crazy, they all played together for all those years. Through Shark River, they're all on the same club team, they played here together so it's a lot," Eldridge said.
