ROSELAND - Although Newark Academy and Mount St. Dominic girls lacrosse teams are arguably not on the same level — NA is looking to make state playoffs and has 16 returning players, while the Mount is hoping to improve on its two victories from last season — the playing field seemed close on Monday.
Home team Mount St. Dominic forced Newark Academy to earn the 16-11 victory.
The difference, according to Newark Academy head coach Meghan Tavormina, was her team's ability to separate the MSD's defense.
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"We have the ability to divide defenses," said Ms. Tavormina. "We really focus on passing on the offense. We have potential to score a lot of goals once we make our passes."
Mount St. Dominic head coach Kristen Cassano agreed about her defense. Also, NA was just better on the offense and won key face-offs.
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"If you don't get off a draw it's tough," said Cassano, who is hoping to get more than two victories this season. Also, she wants to continue to grow the school's program, which is only two years old.
Both teams had good scoring games, though.
Nikki Blank and Laura Kleiber each had five goals for NA while Mount St. Dominic's Meghan Duffy and Bridget Rasmussen had four goals each. Ashley Ulrich added three goals for NA.
In the net, NA's goalie Leigh Wolfson made nine saves to grab the victory. Mount St. Dominic goalie Yola Massoud had 14 saves.
The Mount actually led at one point and was up 5-4 with eight minutes remaining in the first half; the Lady Lions Meghan Duffy scored her third of four goals then. But that advance forced Newark Academy to put on the speed, and that's what Kleiber did when she took the ball at midfield and maneuvered through the MSD defense to net a needed goal.
Including Kleiber's goal, NA scored another five goals in the half to take a 10-5 lead.
"I think we came out a little flat in the start of the halves," said Blank, a junior.
MSD dominated the start of the second half and quickly netted four goals, including a pair from Rasmussen to trim the Newark Academy lead to 10-9 with 10 minutes into the second half.
Blank, though, ended MSD's drive and placed her fourth of her five goals past Massoud with 15 minutes remaining in the game, giving NA a 11-9 lead.
Kleiber notched another goal with 14 minutes in the game, pushing away MSD. But the team rallied with goals from Rassmussen and Nikki Doerr. Still, it wasn't enough for MSD.
Newark Academy is undefeated at 2-0 while MSD is 0-2 for the season. Newark Academy will have a chance to go 3-0 as they travel to Pequannock on Wednesday while Mount St. Dominic travels to Passaic Valley on Thursday in an attempt for its first win.
