Allentown, Notre Dame to renew rivalry this week
This could be a very telling week in the always-exciting world of high school girls lacrosse.
There are several key games that might shape some conference races, dole out some bragging rights and provide some teams an early season identity.
There was a time in the Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division when it all revolved around Notre Dame, Allentown and Princeton.
The Redbirds have taken a step forward as the division favorite, but never underestimate those contests with the Irish and the Tigers.
ND (2-0) will renew that Redbird Rivalry this week on Wednesday at Notre Dame when they welcome Allentown (4-0).
Princeton Day School (2-0), the newest member of the Colonial Division, has an interesting week as they played Robbinsville (10) on Monday, have old-time prep rival Pennington (0-1) on Tuesday and will travel crosstown to face Princeton (2-0) for some Nassau Street bragging rights.
One game that was on the original schedule was Stuart (0-3) trekking over to Steinert (0-1).
What made this game so interesting was it would’ve marked the return to Paige Meszaros, the Stuart coach, to her alma mater where she set some scoring records.
Meszaros scored 121 for the Spartans before graduating as thee all-time leading scorer in 2017. Her mark was broken, though, by Hannah Hart in 2019 with 166.
Redbirds and ND Renew Rivalry
The Allentown at Notre Dame matchup is set for Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Redbirds are coming off an amazing week with rain wins over Hightstown, West Windsor-Plainsboro South, Trinity Hall and Clearview.
After facing the Irish, Allentown will face Cherry Hill West (1-0) and Maryland recruit Tatum Woods.
But they aren’t looking past the Irish.
“Notre Dame is a rivalry game,’’ said Allentown coach Justin Schmid. “It’s always fun going up against Fish (ND coach Bryan Fisher) and them as they’ve been a terrific program. There’s always a few local kids for us too on that team, so it adds to rivalry and familiarity.’’
Allentown has won the last five over the Irish, and Fisher knows taking down the Redbirds is no easy task.
“Allentown has been the class of the CVC the past few seasons,’’ said Fisher. “They are a driven group of players and coaches. We will need to play with more confidence and get a few lucky breaks. Excited to play them this early in the season as I know both teams will grow from the game on Wednesday.’’
One thing this rivalry has is a bunch of very talented players.
Allentown is led by junior Delaney Nolan, who surpassed 150 career goals in the win over Clearview and has 13 on the season. Junior Mya Lourenco, who surpassed 100 career assists this season, has 10 helpers this season.
Senior Chloe Conti reached 100 assists in Allentown’s win over Trinity Hall to along with her 129 career goals. She has eight goals and five assists this season.
Sophomore Marleigh White has been impressive in the early going with 10 goals and 12 points.
The Irish have been led by sophomore Reese Parker with 10 goals, junior Ellie Marrone has six, sophomore Capri Valentino has five and five, and Amelia Eilbacher has five goals.
“We have been a resilient bunch in our two games thus far, and the camaraderie amongst the girls has been fun to watch,’’ said Fisher.
The Irish and Allentown are very sound defensive teams, so it should be a good early season showdown.
Big Red Hitting the Road
Lawrenceville hit the road on Monday going to Princeton High. It was the beginning of six straight road games for the Big Red (2-3).
It heads to Hun, Summit, Peddie, Sacred Heart (CT) and Blair before facing Agnes Irwin on the Howard Field.
Lawrenceville under new coach Lindsay Mulhern has dropped a pair of one-goal games to Notre Dame daNamur and Germantown, but the new coach has been pleased with the effort.
“I like where we are at the moment,’’ said Mulhern. “We have had some challenges and successes, but I think the best is yet to come. We are about to start our stint of New Jersey games, and I think we are primed to get moving in the right direction.’’
Mulhern might be new in leading the Big Red, but coaching is in her blood.
For almost a decade she led the Hill School (Lawrenceville rival), and now she’s glad to be in Jersey.
“I have always had a lot of respect for Lawrenceville and the community here,’’ Mulhern stated. “Lawrenceville attracts such talented student-athletes that it is truly a joy to work here. I come from a long line of coaches. My father coached High School basketball for over 25 years in Pennsylvania, so some of my earliest memories are from being in the gym with him. I think his passion rubbed off on me and my two older siblings who are also coaches.’’
There’s no doubt Mulhern’s passion will rub off on the Big Red.
Princeton, PDS Rivalry Heating Up
It was always a special time when Princeton and Princeton Day met in any athletic contest, and now with the Panthers in the CVC Colonial Division, it takes on even more meaning.
“We always look forward to the PDS game because it is always a battle to see who comes out on top,’’ said Katie Federico, the Tigers coach. “Both teams bring their best and it’s going to be even more so this year with PDS being in the CVC. There is a lot more on the line than just bragging rights for the best team in Princeton.’’
Hun and Stuart might have something to say about who rules Princeton, too.
The Tigers are coming off a tough 2023, and that means every game takes even more importance this season.
“The girls have built a lot of confidence so far this year, and persevering in the tough games is going to be crucial,’’ said Federico. “It will not only show other teams that we are back, but it will also show the team that they can be successful in whatever they put their minds to as long as they put in the work and effort in preparation.’’
Princeton, who played Lawrenceville on Monday, has been led by senior Riley Devlin with eight goals, sophomore Leah Bornstein has seven, and senior Sarah Henderson has seven assists.
Princeton Day saw Tessa Caputo go over the 100 assist plateau this season and now has 189 career goals and 104 career assists. She matched her career high of nine goals in a game in PDS’ win over Hightstown.
Another senior, Jesse Hollander, has nine goals for the Panthers.
“Maintaining our composure and effective communication will be key for us against PDS,’’ said Federico. “Hitting the slides on defense and making crisp, clean passes in the transition will be important for us to win.’’
It’s now about bragging rights and a division title.
Hickey Enjoys First Win
Danielle Hickey, the Ewing coach, was always a soccer player and a marathon runner, and she appreciated lacrosse from afar.
Well, now Hickey gets to be a part of the game close up guiding the fortunes of the Blue Devils (1-1).
Despite losing 94-goal scorer Sierra Mitchell to graduation, Ewing came out and opened with an 11-7 win over Nottingham (0-1).
“Mother Nature certainly presented her share of challenges during the season opener, but my team responded in an impactful way,’’ Hickey said of the win. “I am excited about what I see on this team. I like the way they support each other, I like the grit and determination that they are developing despite being new to the sport, and I can’t wait to see where this season goes.’’