Coming into Monday’s game against Delran, Cinnaminson girl’s lacrosse had won three straight and wanted to keep the momentum going. They did just that with a convincing, 14-9 victory over the Bears.
The Pirates got strong efforts across the board, including excellent play from goalie Emily Brennan, in the win. This is the first season for Brennan, a junior, on varsity. She has been gaining confidence with each game played.
“Emily is a great goalie. This is her first varsity experience. She didn’t get any other time prior to this season. She wants to be out there and wants to help us as a team. I can’t ask for anything more. She is super-confident in the net. I am super proud of how she is doing. She has kept us in a lot of games so far,” head coach Laura Curran said.
Brennan made a handful of nice saves on Monday to keep Delran from closing the gap, including at least two saves in situations where it was just Brennan and the offensive player in front of her.
Brennan spoke glowingly about the defensive players in front of her, especially when it comes to them making it easier on her during the game.
“It was a weird transition going from JV to varsity, but we have a great team and my teammates help me a lot. Words can’t describe how much our defense helps. Every single girl on defense is giving 100 percent all the time and they help more than they could know.”
Cinnaminson jumped out to a 4-1 lead before holding a 5-4 advantage at halftime. The Pirates have been gaining steam during the win streak, but they are not getting ahead of themselves.
“We’ve been using the phrase, ‘To climb a mountain.’ This season is a mountain for us. We want to reach the peak and be division champions. We are not focusing on the long-term, just small goals at a time,” Curran said.
The Pirates exploded to start the second half with six straight goals before Delran could find the back of the net again, putting the game away before the 14 minute mark.
The Bears picked up some late goals, but could not figure out the Pirates defense to make a serious run at the lead.
Grace Shallow and Shannon Forbes each scored two goals to begin the second half for Cinnaminson. It was a balanced day for the Pirates when it comes to goal scorers.
Shallow finished with four, Julia Averill with three, Forbes with two, Morgan Gares with two and three other players had at least one goal apiece (Kimmy Stefanelli, Kelsey Treharne and Casey Joyce).
Cinnaminson girl’s lacrosse visits Northern Burlington on Wednesday, April 15 at 3:45pm looking for a fifth straight win, but don’t expect the Pirates to get ahead of themselves.
“We list small goals with each game. In the first 10 minutes against Northern Burlington, we have to win the draw first, we have to score first and we have to be on the ball first. At halftime, we have to come out strong in the first 10 minutes. A little bit at a time, climbing a mountain, will ensure that we are a successful team,” Curran said. “Northern Burlington will be the hardest competition that we have seen so far. It is going to be super-important that we stay focused.”
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