OCEAN CITY – The seniors on the Ocean City girls lacrosse team have only ever ended their regular season with a Cape-Atlantic League title. They were not ready to let the streak end on their watch.
Despite a valiant comeback attempt from Mainland Regional High School’s team, the Red Raiders rode an early lead all the way to a 14-9 win over the Mustangs on May 21.
In the five years of the CAL tournament’s existence, the Raiders have climbed to the top each year with seniors like Katie Pierce leading the way.
Pierce is one of five Raider seniors this season and the four-year starter has been front and center for the team. She finished the game with two goals and was instrumental for Ocean City, gaining and keeping possession of the ball with six draw controls.
“Today’s game meant a lot to me because it’s my last CAL championship and I’m happy to go out with the five-peat,” Pierce said. “It’s a special feeling to me because I’ve never lost a CAL regular season game and I could not have done it without my awesome teammates.”
“We talk about that mentality of not wanting to be the team that doesn’t carry on that tradition,” head coach Lesley Graham said. “Inevitably we will lose a CAL game – that’s how life works – but we are not ready to give that one up yet. Our five seniors, regardless of the minutes they get on the field, they greatly helped us get to this place we are now.”
Graham emphasized the importance of the early possessions and momentum the Raiders built which eventually led to the team taking a 9-2 lead into halftime over Mainland.
Mustang Sophia Blanco scored the game’s first goal, but it was all Raiders for the rest of the first half.
The attacking duo of Marley Ostrander and Marley Dwyer was busy in the game with three goals apiece. In a flash the duo helped take the lead and set it to as many as seven goals. Ostrander also controlled five draws to ensure the Raiders’ control of the game.
Mainland put up its lowest score for a half of the season against Ocean City, which head coach Kelly Klever pointed to as the deciding factor.
“We just started off too slow and that’s what the difference was today,” Klever said. “We have only 48 minutes in a game and you can’t waste them.”
The Mustangs kept their heads in the second half and looked like the 14-4 team that got them to the title game.
Mainland outscored Ocean City 7-5 in the second half thanks to big games from Jade O’Neil and Margaret Albert. The Mustangs seized a bit of momentum after going on a quick 4-0 run that finished at the start of the fourth quarter.
O’Neil led the Mustangs with four goals in the game, including three in the second half, followed by Albert, who added three of her own. Thanks to the quick turnaround, the deficit for Mainland was cut to only 12-8 with 9 minutes still on the clock.
After taking the body blows from Mainland, Pierce put an end to the second-half Mustang push and rattled off two goals. Laurel Munning assisted Pierce one last time and earned her fifth point of the game. Munning had three goals along with two assists.
Asked about coaching Pierce and what she has accomplished, Graham said, “She is just a gritty workhorse. Without Katie Pierce we would not be the team that we are and we will devastatingly miss her next year when she graduates.”
A third game of the season between the two teams would have to occur in the South Jersey Group III sectional championship as the second-seeded Raiders and fifth-seeded Mustangs lie on opposite sides of the bracket. They both also finished the regular season in similar fashion as winners of 10 of their last 12 games.
Mainland’s playoff run will begin on May 28 at home against Northern Burlington High School. Game time is set for 4 p.m. with the winner likely to travel to fourth-seeded Cherry Hill West High School on June 1.
Ocean City will not have to leave home for most of the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and will start their postseason climb against Hammonton High School on May 28. Game time is set for 2 p.m. and with a win the Raiders would play their next opponent June 1.
“The kids work so hard day in and day out with the ultimate goal of playing for a state championship. Being able to get this momentum on our side heading into the tournament is a really big confidence boost,” Graham said.
– STORY by WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
