Erin Donoghue scores her 100th career goal in Lenape's lacrosse win over Cherokee
The Indians scored three goals in the first 92 seconds and won, 18-8.
When the shot went in, players rushed the field with hugs, balloons, and just enough time for a couple of quick photos.
But in the end, the whole thing felt a bit routine.
And for good reason.
Scoring milestones are so commonplace for the Lenape girls' lacrosse team that they often don't feel as if they're a big deal.
On Saturday, Erin Donoghue netted her 100th career goal for the Indians late in the first half of an 18-8 win over host Cherokee.
She is now the third member of her team's stellar senior class to hit the mark. And, when thinking about it, it's something Donoghue seemed almost to shrug off.
It says something about a team when a 100-goal scorer isn't the first or, arguably, even the second scoring option on her team.
In fact, Donoghue doesn't view herself as a goal scorer.
"I think it's a great milestone, and I'm happy about it. But it's not a huge deal for me," said Donoghue, a midfielder who finished with five goals and an assist Saturday. "I try to be a balanced player."
Donoghue, a George Mason recruit, played strictly defense her first year and didn't record a goal.
Even this year, she stands out more for her ability to win ground balls, cause turnovers, and dominate the draw.
Donoghue's motor has served as an example for a team that features the area's top senior class.
"When you see her on the field, she literally does it all for us," coach Jill McCarthy said. "She's our workhorse."
Saturday was one of Lenape's first comfortable wins all season. The Indians scored three unanswered goals in the first 92 seconds of the game.
They dominated possession and controlled ground balls. And every time Cherokee (6-5) looked as if it was building momentum, Lenape (8-0) was quick to answer.
"The last three weeks, we've been talking about putting a full game together," McCarthy said. "And I was really proud with how we put it all together today."
Despite having to grind out a few close wins, the Indians, ranked No. 2 in the Inquirer's Top 10, are still undefeated - and each of their wins has come against a team currently ranked in the Top 10. Even more, the Indians are coming off a stretch in which they won five close games without top scorer Gabby Fornia, who was out with mononucleosis. Fornia recorded three goals and two assists Saturday and has more than 200 for her career.
"I think we all rallied around each other in Gabby's absence," McCarthy said. "So, when you look at it, we just have to be really happy to be undefeated at this point in the season."
With Fornia out, players such as Donoghue and fellow senior Carlee Faraghan-Braverman played an even larger role.
"I think everybody's role shifted. We all had to step up in our own way," Donoghue said. "But this team has so many weapons, so many threats, that we were confident that we could step up."
Strong senior classes have been the hallmark of the Lenape girls' lacrosse team since Donoghue was a freshman.
It's something, she said, that this year's senior class is embracing. And it's a tradition they're proud to carry on.
"The classes that came before us inspired us," she said. "And we want to lead the way they did."