Prep tournaments turn up the heat this week
The Lawrenceville and Princeton Day girls lacrosse teams will be on the road to a couple familiar foes as Prep A and Prep B continue on the tourney trail.
The third-seeded Panthers (6-2) get things started on Monday with a Prep B semifinal clash against No. 2 Trinity Hall (6-0). The first draw is set for 3:45 at Trinity Hall’s Capelli Sports Complex. The other Prep B semifinal No. 4 MorristownBeard (3-6) facing top-seeded Montclair Kimberley (7-2).
The Prep B final is set for May 12 at the higher seed.
On Tuesday, the Big Red (62) renew their rivalry with Oak Knoll (8-1) in the Prep A state final.
Princeton Day got off to a great start, winning it first six games, but has now dropped the last two games to Voorhees and Blair. The Panthers are a young team that will learn from the tough losses and be looking to upend the Monarchs.
“They are a team that has the ability to score a lot of goals,” said PDS coach Jill Thomas. “Our defense will have to be ready for the challenge.”
Finding the back of the cage 109 times, the Panthers can score goals, too. Freshman Tessa Caputo has 23 goals and 10 assists, sophomore Paige Gardner has caged 21 goals and freshman Sophia Jaffe has 14 goals and 12 assists.
Senior Jordan Young is the field general and leads in assists with 15 and Hailey Wexler is one of the premier goalies around.
“We have been solid from one end of the field to the other,” said Thomas. “We have great balance and team chemistry.”
This will be the third meeting in the Prep B tournament, the two have met in 2018 and 2019. PDS won the first and Trinity Hall took the last meeting.
Trinity Hall is led by Haven Dora with 28 goals and 13 assists and Paige Nolan has 13 goals. Mary Kate Allingham also has 13 assists.
“We need to come to play and bring our A game,” said Thomas.
Discounting that there was no girls lacrosse last year, the Tuesday Prep A matchup will be the sixth straight Prep A final for Lawrenceville and Oak Knoll.
The Royals, a state perennial power, hold a 4-1 advantage over the Big Red.
The last Lawrenceville win was back on May 16, 2016, and it was led by Chloe Jones (Virginia) and Annabelle Albert (Georgetown).
Bella Koch leads the Big Red with 27 goals and six assists and Caroline Foster has 26 goals and nine assists.
The Big Red’s two losses have come to national powers Agnes Irwin and Penn Charter.
The lone Oak Knoll loss was a one-goal affair to Chatham.
Colleen Quinn leads the Royals with 27 goals and 17 assists and Lily Ramsey adds 22 goals.