South Jersey lacrosse notes

The 2010 South Jersey Group 3 final was a turning point for girls' lacrosse players and programs.

For Moorestown, it was the end of an era.

For Shawnee goalie Alex Zaugra, it was the start of one.

There is a confidence about the senior that wasn't there before her 20 saves that game. There's a new reputation to uphold, a legacy that seemed to grow with every stop she made in the Renegades' 7-6 win over Moorestown in last year's group championship game.

And when the two teams meet again at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Shawnee - a rematch that stands as more a singular event than just one of 20 regular-season games - the biggest storyline on the field remains the two girls standing in goal.

"I just remember all of the fans watching and all of the intensity" of last year's game," said Zaugra, who is bound for the University of Delaware. "And I have been more confident ever since then. But, more than that, people have been more confident in me."

She didn't do it alone, but Zaugra's performance proved the antidote to Moorestown's 228-game, in-state winning streak.

The loss was Moorestown's first to a New Jersey opponent since 2000, a span that covered 10 consecutive Tournament of Champions titles.

It was an era in which Shawnee (4-2), ranked No. 2 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 10, often stood as the most formidable challenger to the unprecedented run.

The Shawnee-Moorestown rivalry was heated even as No. 1 Moorestown (6-2) rattled off 15 consecutive wins over the Renegades before last year's group final.

Most of those matchups were in the postseason. Wednesday's game is the first regular-season meeting between the teams since 2002, when both were part of the Delaware Valley League.

Wednesday, "I expect to see the same rivalry we see every single year," said Shawnee coach Janae Zechman, who has been with Shawnee, as an assistant or head coach, for nine years. "We need everybody to be on their game, all 12 players. We need everybody to be doing what they do best."

Unlike the Quakers, the Renegades return most of their team from last year's matchup. Moorestown graduated 13 seniors in 2010. Twelve are playing college lacrosse; one is playing field hockey.

But Moorestown did return a strong core of players, including senior goalie Bridget Bianco.

Bianco, last year's Inquirer Player of the Year, is the No. 2 rated high school goalie in the country by ESPN.

"We just have to keep a good mind-set for the game," Zaugra said. "We need to work hard. But we're confident and we'll be ready."

Boys' No. 1 vs. No. 2. The Moorestown-Shawnee girls' game isn't the only marquee matchup in South Jersey lacrosse this week.

Thursday at 10 a.m., the St. Augustine boys (6-3), ranked No. 1 in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 10, will visit No. 2 Shawnee (6-1).

Both feature well-balanced, veteran teams.

The Hermits have had the Renegades' number recently, winning three straight meetings to bring their series record to 3-4.

Facing an attack loaded with players who excel at putting the ball in the net, Shawnee coach Tim Gushue will rely on his defense's ability to rise to the occasion.

On offense, Gushue expects St. Augustine to mark attackman Owen Demmerly, who has 17 goals in his last three games.

"We expect to make it a battle," Gushue said. "We like to think that we have some balanced scoring, too . . . but we have to bring our A game; it's that simple. If we can do that, we'll give them a run."

Zeuli returns. It has been a rough start for the Cherokee boys' lacrosse team, but the Chiefs (1-4) hope the return of senior midfielder Mike Zeuli sparks a strong second half.

Zeuli sat out three weeks after suffering a separated shoulder during a scrimmage.

The senior, set to play football at Princeton next season, saw his first regular-season action Monday in Cherokee's loss to Moorestown.

Zeuli, "brings that tenacity," Cherokee coach Pete Corelli said. "He's determined to win all of the time, no matter what the score is. He's a leader, a natural leader."

Though Zeuli was being rotated in and out of the game, he started at midfield and handled face-off duties against Moorestown.

"He's still got some rust to shake off, but that's a big, big addition for us," Corelli said. "We're taking our bumps now, but we're slowly getting people back, which is big."