Summit nips Moorestown to win girls' lacrosse Group 3 state title
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The goalie, the opposing team's hero, was bawling, crying tears of joy long after she made the save of a lifetime.
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The goalie, the opposing team's hero, was bawling, crying tears of joy long after she made the save of a lifetime.
The stands had cleared, and she wandered the sidelines aimlessly, holding her state championship trophy, eyes still welled, as if she was confused and couldn't believe what had happened.
She was a walking symbol of just how much this game had meant to the kids who played it.
But so were the kids on the other end of the field.
And on that end of the field, Deanna Knobloch made a point to gather her players before they even made it to the sidelines.
"I just told them how proud I was of them," said Knobloch, holding back her own emotion after her Moorestown girls' lacrosse team suffered a wrenching 9-8 loss to Summit in Saturday's Group 3 state championship at Kean University.
For a program not used to losing - especially not in such heart-breaking fashion - it was a teaching moment for a group of players who had just left their hearts on the field.
"We fought the entire game, and I couldn't have asked for any more from them," Knobloch said.
There wasn't much else to add.
With 17 seconds left, the Quakers drew a foul and earned a free position shot.
They had worked manically to gain possession back after Summit took the lead on a goal with 1 minute, 56 seconds left.
And this free position shot with 17 seconds left was a make-or-break moment.
Summit goalie Maddie Collins squared up on the ball and stopped it point blank.
"I'm told to see the ball before it comes too close," Collins said. "I was able see it about one or two feet ahead of me. So thankfully I was able to stop it."
The shot was the culmination of an emotional, intense battle between two familiar rivals. Moorestown - a program with 21 state title to its name - also lost in this game to Summit last season.
But Saturday's loss wasn't for a lack of effort.
Robin Panzarella, Quinn Nicolai and Kacey Knobloch - the team's leaders on offense all season - each scored two goals. The Quakers defense was aggressive and strong and, for much of the game, held back one of the state's premier offenses.
"Honestly, going into this game, we knew it was going to be a dog fight the whole time," said senior defender and captain Nicki Dadino. "We knew Summit was a mentally tough team, but we're also a mentally tough team. This whole season, as a senior, and especially as a captain, I couldn't be happier with the teammates I have."
Moorestown dug out of an early 4-1 deficit, and Kacey Knobloch's goal with 15:24 left gave the Quakers a 7-5 lead.
The goal capped a 21-minute stretch in which the Quakers had outscored Summit, 6-1.
For a brief period, it felt like Moorestown (20-3) was firmly in the driver's seat. But the team struggled with turnovers down the stretch, and Summit (20-2) took advantage of its opportunities.
The Hilltoppers scored three unanswered goals in a four-minute span that ended with the team taking an 8-7 lead with 10:45 left.
Kayla Frank answered with an overhand free position shot, tying the game with 3:44 left. That set the stage for Helen Johnson's go-ahead goal, her third of the game, with 1:56 left and Moorestown's last-gasp effort with 17 seconds left.
"It's disappointing that we couldn't come out with the W, but I'm really happy with what my team was able to accomplish," Dadino said. "I couldn't be happier with how we fought today. And I couldn't be prouder to be a part of such an amazing program."
Moorestown 5 3 - 8
Summit 5 4 - 9
M: Robin Panzarella 2, Ava Frantz, Kacey Knobloch 2, Quinn Nicolai 2, Kayla Frank.
S: Julia Syznal 3, Hannah Hollingsworth, Anna Huntley-Robertson, Helen Johnson 3, Katia Carnevale.
Saves: M-Maddie Lucidi 1, Emily Toft 5; S-Maddie Collins 8.