Johnson named best of the week
BROCK JOHNSON (BOYERTOWN) » The senior was named MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Week on March 26 for his play with the 3-4 King’s men’s lacrosse team the previous week. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound co-captain had three assists in an 11-10 loss to SUNY-Morrisville March 22 in Wilkes-Barre and four goals and two assists in a 12-9 victory over Bryn Athyn on March 24 in Bryn Athyn. That gives Johnson 97 career goals and 154 career points, both King’s records. He has 57 assists, five away from the school record. This season, he has scored at least one point in all seven games and has 11 goals and 10 assists for 21 points.
ALICIA STRATTEN (BOYERTOWN) » The senior midfielder has four goals and three assists for seven points for the East Stroudsburg women’s lacrosse team, the No. 21-ranked Warriors 4-2 overall and 3-1 in PSAC play after dropping a 14-7 decision to No. 13 West Chester on March 28 in Westchester. Stratten also has five ground balls, seven draw controls and six caused turnovers. She had a breakout season as a junior with 19 goals and 12 assists to help the Warriors capture their first-ever PSAC title and earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. She had four goals in a 17-10 loss to Florida Tech in the NCAA first round.
BROOKE WENSEL (BERKS CATHOLIC) » The junior was named Patriot League Player of the Week on March 27 for her stellar play with the 4-22 Lafayette softball team. The Bechtelsville native was named after she hit .833 (5for-6) with two home runs and four runs batted in as the Leopards defeated Holy Cross 13-4 and then lost 8-0 and 12-3 to the Crusaders. Wensel is hitting .278 (20for-72) with three doubles, a triple, three home runs, 15 runs scored and seven runs batted in. In an 8-5 victory over St. Peter’s on March 29, she had a home run and single with four RBIs.
MINUETTE LAESSIG (PERKIOMEN SCHOOL) » The Lehigh sophomore, of Barto, finished tied for 41st place out of 81 golfers to help the Mountain Hawks finished ninth out of 15 schools at William & Mary’s Kingsmill Intercollegiate March 19-20 in Williamsburg, Va. She had rounds of 75, 86 and 83 for a 244 total. Laessig finished tied for 14th at the Benbow Invitational to kick off the spring season Feb. 12-13 in Jacksonville, Fla. She had back-to-back rounds of 79 to finish with a 155 total.
TEMPLE LACROSSE » The Temple women’s lacrosse team is 7-3 on the season and has a 2-0 record in the Big East Conference after turning back No. 22 Denver 10-9 on March 18 and Cincinnati 9-8 in two overtimes on March 24, both games in Philadelphia.
The Owls are getting standout play from three area athletes – sophomore Maddie Gebert (Owen J. Roberts), freshman Jackie Cerchio (Methacton) and senior Kira Gensler (SpringFord).
Gebert, a 5-foot-7 midfielder, leads the team with 19 goals and has two assists to tie for the team lead in points with 21. She had two goals, including the gamewinner in the Cincinnati victory and a goal in the Denver triumph. It was her third game-winner this season. And, she has 20 ground balls, nine draw controls and nine caused turnovers.
Cerchio, a 5-foot-8 midfielder, has 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points with 19 ground balls and four caused turnovers. She had a goal against Denver and two goals against Cincinnati.
“Jackie has done a tremendous job stepping into a starting role and handling it with the consistency of an older player,” Rosen said. “She has the ability to elevate play, but most importantly, she just brings a consistency of play on all parts of the field.”
Gensler, a 5-foot-3 attack, has nine goals and six assists for 15 points. She had a goal and two assists against Denver and a goal against Cincinnati.
SAMANTHA SNYDER (EXETER) » The Lafayette women’s tennis team with no seniors on the roster is 3-6 thus far this spring but the Leopards had a big effort in a 4-0 Patriot League victory over Holy Cross on March 24 in West Point, N.Y. and the freshman had a big part in the victory. Snyder captured her No. 2 singles match 6-4, 6-0 and teamed with fellow freshman Cecelia Lesnick of Morristown, N.J. to take No. 1 doubles 6-4. Snyder also had a big effort to help Lafayette turn back Slippery Rock in a non-league match March 11 in Hilton Head, S.C. She and Lesnick took their doubles match 8-5 and then she rallied from a 0-6 start to take No. 2 singles 6-3 and 10-7.
RENEE WALL (BRANDYWINE HEIGHTS) » The freshman hit a three-run home run in her first at-bat to help the Indiana softball team kick off its season with a 10-1 victory over Salem International on March 9 in Salem, Va. The infielder leads the Crimson Hawks in hitting with a .355 average (11for-31) with three doubles, two home runs, four runs scored and 13 runs batted in. Indiana is 6-6 after defeating Northwestern Ohio 4-3 and 11-5 on March 17 in Clermont, Fla. Wall was 4-for-7 with a double, homer and four RBIs in the two games.