Haverford Senior Star Closes Great Career

Jill Root didn’t think it would hit her like that. The tiny senior just finished playing her last high school game. Root was a three-sport star in soccer, basketball and lacrosse, playing around 220 varsity games in her four years at Haverford.

Thursday marked her last, after the Fords dropped a 13-8 decision to Harriton in the second round of the PIAA District 1 girls’ lacrosse playoffs at Harriton.

“It’s tough, real bittersweet,” said Root, who’s headed on Monmouth University on a soccer scholarship. Then Root caught herself, and a tear trickled down her cheek. “You know, I didn’t think it would be this hard. I had some great times here, times I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I suppose the tough part is that it’s over, and I have to close a chapter in my life and start a new one. It is upsetting, I just didn’t think it would catch me like this. One second I’m talking, and laughing, and you know it’s coming. It’s just hard when it gets here.”

Root did everything she could to prevent it from happening. But the Fords couldn’t find an answer for Harriton High School’s Caleigh Foust.

Foust led all scorers with five goals, followed by four goals from Carli Sukonik, three from Jessica Schwab and one goal from Laura Walzer. Haverford was led by junior standout Katrina Geiger and two goals each from Root and Olivia Martin.

The game became a little tighter than Harriton would have liked early in the second half. The Fords’ Root squeezed by the Rams’ defense and scored, pulling Haverford to within 6-5 with 18:57 left to play.

Harriton coach George Dick saw enough to call a timeout. He explained to his team what was at stake here and that they needed to press a little harder.

“Coach D told us we needed to step up our game, that we could play better than this,” said Harriton midfielder Ally McLaughlin, who was exemplary along with Faust and Megan Rubenstein. “We knew Haverford was going to give us a good game, they did during the regular season. We needed to slow down on offense and work the clock, and we’re not a patient team. We adjusted. We had to shoot wisely.”

The Rams did. Sparked by Foust, Harriton went on a 7-1 tear to retain control of the game. Haverford did a nice job curtailing Harriton’s dangerous Sukonik during the second half. But that seemed to open the middle of the field for the speedy Foust, who scored four-straight goals during the Rams’ 7-1 run.

“We have a lot of very good players and very good athletes on this team, I can’t take anything away from anyone, but Caleigh is a difference-maker, she’s a different animal,” Dick said. “You can take someone away offensively from this team, and someone else is always going to step up.”

Haverford kept clawing back, especially Geiger, Root and Olivia Martin. But a few key saves by Rams’ goalie Jaclyn Marshall kept the Fords at a safe distance the remainder of the game.