Harriton's Lacrosse Team Could Make History

They remember those times being on the field. They remember the scores, too, the times when they looked up and the scoreboard looked like a endless pit that read 19-0, 24-2, 22-3. They’re indelible. Those tallies certainly are not lost on the seniors of the girls’ lacrosse team. They endured those kinds of lopsided scores three years ago, and you can sense that this season, it’s their turn, their time to leave their mark on what appears to be a special season.

The Rams have begun this spring like no other for the girls’ lacrosse program, starting 6-0, the best start in school history that includes a first-ever victory over Strath Haven and a triumph over Springfield, two teams that were state finalists the last two years. Harriton has outscored its first six opponents 101-44, and a bigger picture is starting to unfold for seniors Betsy Hurtado, Carli Sukonik, Carolyn Flannery, Megan Rubenstein, Laura Walzer and Jackie Marshall, the team’s goalie.

They were all starters three years ago as freshmen, getting hammered by the very Central League teams they’re now beating. The Rams have become party crashers of the yearly spring bash traditionally held by two-time defending state champions Radnor, Strath Haven and Springfield. And perhaps the only ones that expected this great success was the Harriton team itself, and Rams’ coach George Dick.

“When I took over, we had kids that weren’t ready to play,” said Dick, who’s in his fourth season. “We had a winning record my first year, but to be honest, we were beating teams that weren’t very good. When we played the better teams in the area, we would get hammered. Believe me--I remember, too. Radnor was up against us when these seniors were freshmen 19-0 at halftime, and they didn’t pull their starters out until there were five minutes left in the game. When this group of seniors were sophomores, we were down 22-3 at halftime against Strath Haven. Those things they remember.

“Last year, we took a big step. We got real, real close. We were beating Strath Haven with 10 minutes left in the game and ran out of gas. We had no bench. We weren’t that deep. Now we have a team half with underclassmen and half with seniors. These kids have been resilient. They can all play, and know how to play. One of our issues in the past was, we didn’t have lacrosse players--we had great athletes that played lacrosse. Now we have a team filled with great athletes who understand and know the game.”

That’s been the largest difference, said Sukonik, the Rams’ leading goal scorer with 31. She’s set to attend Lehigh on a lacrosse scholarship, something that may have seemed inconceivable before Dick arrived and rejuvenated the program.

“In past years, we really didn’t know what was going to happen when we got on the field,” Sukonik admitted. “It’s an incredibly reassuring feeling that now we know we can win. In the past few years, we didn’t have any depth. I know I can pass the ball to anyone and let them to do their thing. We have a strong team all around the field. There are no what-ifs.”

Defense has also been a factor. The Rams have players willing to play defense; that know the correct slides and can double team an opponent. Harriton’s up-tempo style is often too much to handle for opposing teams. Then when you add the trapping and various zones, along with speedy players like sophomore Caleigh Foust and depth from freshmen duo Katie Melvin and Sabrina Tabasso, and there could be bigger things ahead--much bigger.

“I see us going to states, but we have to take it slow, we have to continue doing what we’ve been doing and work on getting better,” said Flannery, who is headed to Richmond, but like Hurtado, will be playing her last year of lacrosse. “I like it that we’re little, old Harriton, the team people used to beat. I think we broke out of that boundary. This is it for me. That’s added motivation. It would be amazing if the seniors could end it at states.”

It wasn’t an easy sell job when Dick began three years ago. He needed to weed out the players who were committed to winning, and those that weren’t. It meant extricating a number of seniors and taking the proverbial one step back to take two forward. Now those steps have become gaping leaps.

“I remember not even touching the ball the whole game my freshman year against Radnor; we were scared freshmen, so you know winning like this feels great,” said Hurtado, who’s looking to attend either Johns Hopkins or Cornell for academics. “We can’t forget the times we lost. I think it’s why we were so emotional when we beat Strath Haven. Looking back, it’s why I’m still in a little awe over what we’re doing now. But when you beat two teams like Springfield and Strath Haven, you know it’s real. We have an opportunity to be that team that steps up. We know we could get to states and hopefully win.”

That would be an indelible memory, too.