Sports
Third Time's Not The Charm: Mendham Girls Fall in LAX Final
Minutemen stopped by Moorestown in the Group III final for the third year in a row.
Record heat on the turf paled in comparison to the heat of the rivalry on the field as Mendham and Moorestown clashed for the third time in as many years with the Group III title on the line.
Moorestown, ranked No. 2 in the nation, completed their undefeated season dropping the Minutemen 18-10.
1st 2nd FINAL Mendham (15-6) 3 7 10 Moorestown(22-0) 8 10 18Mendham came out strong against the defending Tournament of Champions winner. Becky Gohsler would put Mendham on the board for the early 1-0 lead. But Moorestown quickly scored tying the game at 1-1.
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Gia Padavano would get the next goal for Mendham and the Minutemen were back on top. But Moorestown would explode for six unanswered goals that put Mendham back on their heels.
In the second half, Mendham picked up the intensity and scored seven goals, including three from Becky Gohsler and two from Gia Padavano. And at every turn, Moorestown seemed to have the answer scoring ten of their own in the half.
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"Defensively, we didn't have a good day," said Mendham head coach Jessica Shouldberg. "Letting in that many goals, the most we ever let in. But that happens and we picked it up on the offensive end."
According to Shoulberg, her squad improved exponentially over the course of the season.
"We could not have been on the same field with them in March. The things that we've accomplished from March to now, I credit the team," Shouldberg said. "They worked really hard."
Shoulberg said her team battled injuries and obstacles throughout the season, but that they never gave up.
"I couldn't be prouder of my team," said Shouldberg. "I could not be prouder of their effort. It was an honor to be here today among the top eight teams in the state. I think we deserved to be in that top eight."
Shouldberg said that despite scrapping through a long season with a tough schedule, she will have good memories of it.
"When I look back on this season, I will have a smile on my face,"Shouldberg said. "They worked hard. They came in day in and day out, they wanted to play and they wanted to get better. And they never gave up. And on the coaching staff, that was contagious. They've done good for Mendham lacrosse."
