Girls lacrosse slips past PHS
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
It was only one game, but the West Windsor-Plainsboro North girls lacrosse team has complete confidence in its goalie play.
The Knights got to see both of their goalies in action, though not by design. Three-year starter Tricia Pehnke was cruising along after making five saves when she took a Princeton High shot off her knee with five minutes left in the game.
”I tried to walk it off like I normally do, but the pain wouldn’t go away,” said Pehnke, a Knights senior. “Princeton got the ball back, and I was hoping the defense would get the ball back so they wouldn’t get a shot. There was no way I could make the save.”
On the sidelines, Alexa L’Insalata was scrambling to get her goalie gear together to go in.
”It was really hard,” L’Insalata said. “You’re standing on the sidelines and it’s freezing out and all of a sudden you have to go in.”
When the Knights finally got a time out to get Pehnke some relief, the sophomore went in to face her first two shots of the year and made the saves to sustain a two-goal edge as WW-P North held off PHS, 8-6, Saturday.
”With such a close game, anything could have happened,” said Knights head coach Beth Serughetti. “I feel really good about our goalies. It’s a great situation.”
WW-P North trailed the Little Tigers, 5-4, at halftime, but turned it around with a 4-1 second half. Kristin Troianello had three goals and an assist and freshman Olivia Harpel debuted with three goals. Ana Lucia Dellien led the Knights with eight ground balls. Pehnke had five saves and L’Insalata made two.
”I am proud of the girls in that they came back second half and definitely played a stronger game,” Serughetti said. “That’s what resulted in the win. In the second half, they were playing as a team vs. as individuals. It definitely made a huge difference.
”I was really happy with our newcomers. Olivia Harpel goes out and scores right off the bat. Kristin Troianello has really developed. She has really improved. She had a well deserved hat trick. Dani Siano is a sophomore on defense who did well. Julia Tampellini plays in the midfield as a freshman. I was extremely impressed.”
The Knights face another test today when they play at WW-P South. The Knights have never lost in the series.
”It’s going to be a great game,” Pehnke said. “It’s two great teams. You know it’s going to be an exciting game, and hopefully we’ll win.”
Pehnke’s knee was feeling fine by Sunday, and she expects to be back in goal for the Knights. The Catholic University-bound Pehnke gives the Knights an established goalie.
”Trish has been starting since her sophomore year, and she has been improving every year,” Serughetti said. “This year, she’s really playing like a veteran. She’s strong.”
And now L’Insalata has had the chance to show the Knights’ future in goal is also strong. She played with the poise of a veteran Saturday when thrown into a tough situation.
”Alexa, she was the back-up as a freshman,” Serughetti said. “She has great reflexes and a great clear. I have a great starting goalie in Trish and a fantastic back-up goalie in Alexa. It’s reassuring to know I have this solid girl to step in next year.”
L’Insalata was happy to have a chance to show her ability. She handled the pressure situation fine to help the Knights get off to a good start.
”It was definitely a good feeling, especially coming in as a sophomore and having those couple minutes helped,” L’Insalata said. “I might not be in the whole game, but if I can show what I have the last three or four minutes of a game, it can really make a difference.”
Pehnke remembers her first action as a sophomore. She was stepping into the shoes of her sister, Kerry, who now starts for Rowan University.
”I kind of started because of her,” said Pehnke, who could face her older sister when Catholic and Rowan meet next year. “She was so cool. I wanted to be like her. Watching her play inspired me to be even better. When I was watching her, she showed me how to play.”
”It’s a lot different now,” she said. “My sophomore year, I was the starter. I was really nervous. It was my first year playing in a varsity game. It was kind of weird. My sister was the varsity goalie before me. My sister did so well her senior and junior year. How am I supposed to take that and put it on the field? Last year, was great. I knew what it was like.”
Pehnke felt a little like the big sister when L’Insalata had to go in for her Saturday. L’Insalata is still gaining experience at the varsity level, and Pehnke can attest that it gets easier the more you play. L’Insalata made the big jump last year, when she went from seeing middle school attackers’ shots to the speed and skill of high school players.
”I felt confident that Alexa could do it,” Pehnke said. “Alexa is a great goalie. I’m happy she was there to come in for me. If that ever happens again, I know she can come in there. Without any warm-up, she went in and made two saves. I was happy she was able to step up and take that role.”
Said L’Insalata: “My defense and my team, they were really encouraging. They were saying, you’ve got this. I went in there and focused on the one important thing, which is the ball. It helped to come in calm and confident.”
Both goalies see a change in this year’s Knight team. North was 12-7 last year, but this year’s group sees the potential to be better.
”This year, it’s a different feeling,” L’Insalata said. “The atmosphere, it seems like we have that spark that wasn’t there last year. We mesh a lot better. Everyone has each other’s backs, and they’re looking out for the team, not the individuals.”
Pehnke is one of 12 seniors that make up the backbone of the driven Knights team.
”We have a big group of seniors and we all want it,” Pehnke said. “It’s a different team than we’ve had. We’re all playing for one common goal. We’re playing to win and go far. We’re playing to go far in the Mercer County Tournament and states.”
The goalies epitomize the team-first attitude. Both are rooting for each other because they know how critical they are to the team.
”Tricia is also a good goalie and she has been,” L’Insalata said. “She’s a senior, and it’s her last year. I respect that. It doesn’t matter to me how much playing time I can get, it’s whatever can benefit the team.”
Said Pehnke: “Alexa is great, and it’s great to have her as someone I can lean back on. It’s great starting and this being my last year. I want people to know that North lacrosse is there for the win.”
Having a pair of accomplished goalies only helps the Knights’ chances of winning and reaching their lofty goals.
Said Serughetti: “We have some potential to be a fantastic team.”

