In a unique scheduling twist, the Verona Lady Hillbillies lacrosse team faced nearby rival Montclair Kimberley Academy twice in the span of three days this past week. The teams squared off in the Essex County Quarterfinals on Tuesday and then played their NJIGLL Freedom Conference, South Division league game two days later.
The rivalry between the two squads has increased in intensity over the last few seasons as several Verona residents now play for MKA and there was a buzz in the air prior to the ECT Quarterfinal game at MKA’s Van Brunt field. Montclair Kimberley, the #4 seed, got out to a fast start, rolling up a 3-0 lead in the first few minutes of the game before Verona senior captain Cecilia “CC” Courter picked off a pass in the midfield and outraced the MKA defenders to goal before firing a shot that punctured the back of the net to stop MKA’s momentum momentarily and make the score 3-1 around the 17-minute mark. The first half would end with MKA up 6-3.
Courter would finish with a game-high four goals as the Hillbillies had to claw back from deficits throughout the game. Verona would go on to outscore MKA in the second half, 5-3, with sophomore midfielder Maggie Lonsinger scoring three times and adding two assists for a game-high five points and junior Emily Coppola adding the Hillbillies other goal as the game wound down to an exciting finish with Verona bringing it to a 9-8 score in the waning minutes and had several chances to tie the game as the clock expired.
.@veronaglax played 2 games in 3 days against @MKAAthletics this week. In game 1, this Emily Coppola goal pulled VHS to a 9-8 loss. pic.twitter.com/wrZMoilOG2
— MyVeronaNJ (@myveronanj) April 28, 2018
MKA goalie, and Verona native, Reilly Hughes played a huge role in the upset win, making 15 saves in the game as she faced a barrage of shots from the Hillbillies throughout the game, while also recording her 400th career save. The win allowed MKA to advance to the semifinal round of the ECT on Saturday to face #1 seed Glen Ridge.
In the rematch game that followed two days later, once again at MKA’s Van Brunt Field, the Lady Hillbillies were determined to set things right and reestablish their recent dominance over MKA. It showed right from the start as Verona started the game winning the first seven draws, thanks to great work by Verona’s midfield unit of CC Courter, Maggie Lonsinger and Ally Madigan, and building a 4-0 lead before MKA finally got on the scoreboard with about 10 minutes into the game.
Verona rebounded to win game 2. CC Courter’s long pass to Maggie Ashley sealed the 11-6 @veronaglax win. pic.twitter.com/5avwsyt1EC
— MyVeronaNJ (@myveronanj) April 28, 2018
The Lady Hillbillies dominated the first half and took an 8-3 lead into halftime, led by the play of two of their senior captains, Maggie Ashley and CC Courter. Ashley recorded four goals and two assists while Courter finished with game highs of five goals, three assists and eight total points in a commanding performance by the seniors. Junior Ally Madigan, whose tireless effort throughout the game helped capture ground balls and draw controls for the Hillbillies, was a factor on offense as well with two goals. Junior Sarah Carlucci and sophomore Maggie Lonsinger added assists. Lonsinger, as has been the case all season, was dominant again on the draw, using her 5’10” frame effectively in capturing nearly double digits in draw controls to allow Verona to control the game virtually from start to finish.
Midway through the second half, MKA scored two unanswered goals to narrow Verona’s lead to 9-6. The senior leadership for Verona stepped up to make sure further comeback could happen when Courter stick checked the ball away from MKA in the midfield and then headed toward their goal as junior Emily Coppola fielded the ground ball and fired a crisp pass back to Courter. The senior then made a long range pass to a waiting Maggie Ashley in front of the net, who slammed it home for a lightning strike goal that put Verona ahead 10-6. Ashley would finish the scoring with under a minute left to make the final score an 11-6 win for the Lady Hillbillies that put them into second place, ahead of MKA, in the Freedom Conference South division.
