Senior Six Lead Way As Ramapo Routs Fair Lawn

With a 5-11 record history may not look back kindly on the 2011 Ramapo girls lacrosse season.

But those on the inside know to look deeper than the win-loss record.

With Thursday night’s 15-2 thrashing of Fair Lawn, Ramapo bears little resemblance to the squad that stepped onto the field together in March.

“Our record doesn’t begin to show what we accomplished this year,” said third-year head coach Sue Montegari. “If you watched video of our early season games and video of us now, you’d see the difference is astonishing.”

Ramapo lost nine starters from last year’s team, and set forth this year with six seniors and a whole lot of youth and inexperience. The odds were stacked against them from the start, but through it all her seniors never hung their heads. It may have been a key developmental year for the future of the program, but Montegari’s veterans approached every game with fierce determination—and that enthusiasm was infectious.

It was fitting then that on Senior Night, Ramapo’s Senior Six ran roughshod over the opposition, and put a bow on the long-lasting impact they will have had on the program.

Shannon Larson scored four times, Morgan Sissler added three more, and Mackenzie Mosera struck for two in a game Ramapo virtually had put away in the first 2:10 when they opened up a 4-0 lead. Taylor Vancalcar was after every loose ball, and, on the defensive side Kristen Pizzolo was rock-solid in front of goalkeeper Sasha Duch. According to Montegari, it was just another day’s work for Ramapo’s physical and emotional leaders. The seniors were honored in a pre-game ceremony, and are honored again every time their coach talks about them.

“I took the seniors aside early on and I told them were had a young team that was going to need guidance, and one that was going to emulate them and follow their lead,” said Montegari. “They’ve been amazing mentors to the younger girls. They’ve come early to practice and stayed late to work with them.”

Call it a parting gift from the graduating class, and one that will last a lifetime. For it was the seniors who led on and off the field, and demonstrated what it means to compete.

“What we put into the team came back to us with the way everyone showed how much they wanted to be here, and how committed they were,” said Larson, who scored three straight goals to close out the first half, at which time Ramapo had an 11-1 lead.

“It was a building year for the program, but all the things you hope for out of a varsity sports season we experienced just the same,” said Sissler. “The traditions, the team spirit, the family atmosphere were all there, and we’ll have wonderful memories of our final season.”

With the pageantry over for the year, Ramapo (seeded 10^th) now turns its focus to a first-round Group 2 state tournament match-up with (No. 7) Pascack Valley on Tuesday. The Raiders take all kinds of momentum, as well as heart, into that meeting, well-knowing that any game now could be their last.

“As far as we’re concerned the slate is clean, and every team has a shot,” said Montegari. “We supported each other better than we have all year tonight. The girls learned what it means to leave it all on the field. You can see it in their faces. These girls know what being a team is all about.”

And if you see it in a history book, just make sure to read between the lines.