Lady T-Birds Chalk It Up To Experience

After Tuesday's state playoff girls lacrosse game, Mahwah's inexperienced team walked away with a few pointers about what to do when facing formidable opponents, like the team from Chatam.

In only its third year as a varsity program, Mahwah has put up some quality seasons back-to-back, 16-4 last season and 14-6 this season. This season, though, the girls faced a tougher schedule that included strong programs like Mountain Lakes and IHA.

Mahwah's head coach Brian Girardi says he knows that it might take a few trips to the semifinals in this tough section that also includes sports powerhouses in West Essex and Summit before the team is victorious, but behind an up and coming middle school program, the T-Birds will get there.

"We have some good players coming up," said Girardi . "We're trying to get up to the caliber of the Chathams, West Essexs and the Summits.”

It just wasn't on Tuesday as Mahwah was unceremoniously knocked out 15-1 by Chatham in the Group 2 North semi-finals. The T-birds also lost to the Cougars last season in the playoffs (14-3).

"They are just a darn good team," said Girardi after Tuesday's loss.

Mahwah received its lone goal in the first half from their top scorer, senior Alexa Freguletti who had 72 goals and 23 assists.

"She's just relentless on the field," said Girardi who will miss the senior player next season.

Freguletti will be taking her sticks with her to play at Monmouth University.

At Tuesday's game, the attackers like Freguletti, junior Kayla Ciliento and sophomore Christina Costantino just could not get anything past Chatham goalie Hannah Reader.

With the win Chatham moved into the Group 2 North final against Summit on Thursday. Both teams faced off against each other in the 2010 Group 2 North final.

For Girardi and the rest of the Mahwah girls lacrosse team, they hope to be where Chatham and Summit will be on Thursday in 2012.