Peddie girls become state champions

Peddie’s lacrosse team defeated Lawrenceville 10-7.

By: Kyle Moylan
   Following its dramatic win over the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics, the United States ice hockey team still needed to go out and defeat Finland to win the Gold Medal.
   On the way to its first Prep A Tournament championship in the history of the program, the Peddie girls’ lacrosse team faced a similar situation.
   With its 10-7 win over Lawrenceville on May 15, Peddie accomplished a lot. It took out the defending champion and avenged its lone loss of the season (Peddie finished at 14-1). The one thing it didn’t do, however, was win the Prep A title.
   Peddie achieved that goal when it defeated Oak Knoll, 7-5, at home Sunday.
   "Having a letdown really wasn’t something we were worried about," noted Whitney Douthett, one of Peddie’s senior captains. "We knew we had to come out and play our best game. If anything, we knew this team (Oak Knoll) was even better than Lawrencevile. This was the Prep A final."
   For the Prep A final, both teams brought their "A" game. Each team led at least once — but never by more than a goal — through an even first half that ended at 4-4. Douthett scored two goals in the first half and Shirah Hammer and Kat Peetz added one each for Peddie.
   Najah Woodby gave Peddie a lead with 20:43 left to play in the game. Peddie held on to that one-goal lead for the next 10 minutes, fighting off numerous attempts by Oak Knoll to tie the score.
   "Yeah, that was (a little nerve-wracking)," noted Peddie Coach Allison Warner. "Our defense figured how to hold them out. Laura Guisto and Emily Palilonis, our two senior defenders, did an excellent job this season and today."
   After turning away nine Oak Knoll possessions in which it had a chance to tie, Andrea Duggan, assisted by Douthett, scored with 11:02 to play.
   Oak Knoll was able to answer this goal, but Peetz, assisted by Douthett, gave Peddie back its two-goal lead with a 6:15 to play.
   "I knew we’d have to score another goal to stay ahead," noted Peetz, who finished the match with two goals and two assists. "I had to score another one because I had missed so many earlier opportunities."
   Down two goals, Oak Knoll stayed to its deliberate style of play.
   "They were being patient and trying to wait," Warner noted. "Our defense just didn’t make any mistakes."
   Having turned aside Oak Knoll with less than five minutes to play, Peddie’s offense now went into a delay. It eventually turned the ball over without taking a shot, but it had run the clock down to just a minute to play.
   "Our school had never won before, but we knew this was the year," Douthett noted. "We had a great all-around team. This was history."
   Coach Warner noted Peddie had a similar roster last year when it came close to a title. It just needed another year of experience to get the job done.
   "This is my fourth year here and there are girls I’ve had for three or four years," noted Warner. "We had pretty much the same team last year. These girls have been together for a while and you can see the progression. This year they were able to pull it all together."
   And, more importantly, avoid a major letdown after defeating the defending champions.