All sorts of happenings– some wonderful, some sad – percolated around the East Syracuse-Minoa girls lacrosse team, even as it extended its win streak and moved to the no. 15 spot in the state Class B rankings.
The good part involved long-time head coach Andrew Reed, who was named as one of eight coaches from across the United States to take part in the Champion All-American Showcase from July 21-23 at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Florida, a showcase for 200 of the nation’s best high school girls lacrosse players.
At Disney, Reed is coaching Team Freedom, one of four teams that will take part in round-robin play with Juilet Mittleman, from Palisades Charter School in California. Coaches from Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Georgia are also involved.
As this news came out, though, ESM was dealing with a devastating injury. Sam Dooling, who was second in the OHSL with 36 goals for the season, tore her ACL early in the Spartans’ 11-3 win over Cortland on April 27, which will sideline her for the rest of the season.
The loss of Dooling puts more pressure on ESM’s other attackers, especially the likes of Rachel Toole, Haley DeVona and Nicole DeVona, who will need to produce more, especially when the Spartans go to Alibrandi Stadium next Tuesday night to face CBA, trying to avenge its lone defeat of the season to the Brothers on March 28.
At least in the initial phase, the Spartans did fine without Dooling, making it 10 wins in a row last Tuesday with an 18-3 romp over Whitesboro.
It was 10-1 by halftime, the Spartans getting a near-perfect scoring balance. Toole led with three goals and four assists, while Haley DeVona and Nicole DeVona also notched three-goal hat tricks, Haley kicking in a pair of assists.
Just behind them, Morgan Young, Ashley Scalzo, Katy Steigerwald and Kate McGarrity each got two goals, while Jenna Kenney had a single goal and Bridget Maring contributed an assist.
It was much the same on Thursday, when ESM blanked Clinton 18-0. A running clock was already in place late in the first half, the Spartans jumping all over the Warriors and leading 13-0 at the break.
Toole mostly set up her teammates for scoring chances, earning five assists. Scalzo had a team-best four goals, with Steigerwald and Haley DeVona each scoring three times.
Megan LeGro scored twice and added a pair of assists as Young also got two goals. Nicole DeVona had a goal and two assists, with McGarrity and Jenna Kenney also finding the net. Maring and Cindy Brownson earned one assist apiece.
