Monmouth Regional High School lacrosse standout Tara Patti at Monmouth Regional High School in Tinton Falls on June 24. ERIC SUCAR staff ara Patti decided to play lacrosse as a freshman to keep in shape for soccer and basketball; nevertheless, she graduated this spring as Monmouth Regional High School’s career scoring leader in girls lacrosse.
Patti, despite playing most of the season with a tender ankle, scored a mind-boggling 122 goals in her senior season and ended her scholastic career with 245 goals and 60 assists. More important for Patti, who served as a team captain, was Monmouth Regional’s march to the Shore Conference’s Class B North Public title as the Falcons posted a bestever 13-5 mark on the season.
“Tara did a great job as a leader,” coach Jason Lerman said. “She’s a tremendous player who plays hard all the time and never quits. She has the ability to take control of a game and, most important, the other girls on the team look up to her.”
Monmouth Regional also qualified for the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 2 tourney, where the Falcons knocked off Sterling, 23- 13, in the opening round. Patti was injured in the first half but returned to the field following the intermission to score six goals in the second half and total eight for the game.
She also scored nine goals in Monmouth Regional’s early-season 15-12 triumph over Neptune and then scored six more times in the rematch as a determined Scarlet Fliers team took the game into three overtimes before the Falcons finally prevailed. Patti’s five goals also keyed the Falcons’ comefrom behind win over Manalapan in the season opener.
“Tara was always there for us, and she keyed the comeback against Manalapan and that really got our season off right,” Lerman said .
Entering the season, Patti knew she was within striking distance of Christina Monaco’s career record of 194 goals. Despite being double and even triple-teamed at times, Patti was a scoring machine for the Falcons. She averaged nearly seven goals a game and her quick, accurate shot kept opposition goalies back on their heels. OnApril 26, Patti scored 10 times in a win over Long Branch to surpass Monaco’s mark. Not bad for someone who started out playing defense.
Patti, one of the team captains, said that while she is proud of the scoring record, her primary goal was winning the division and getting to the state tournament.
“We knew coming in that we had a good team, but we had to prove it,” she said. “Everyone on the team was determined that thiswould be our year. All the hard work paid off when we won the public title.”
Patti originally tried out for lacrosse because several upperclassman teammates from soccer and basketball encouraged her do so. Almost from the moment she first took the field, Patti was hooked on the game.
“It was something new for me and it’s not a game that a lot of people play,” Patti said. “The pace is fast, and I could adapt some of the things I learned from playing basketball and soccer.”
She earned a spot as a defensive wing on the Falcons’ junior varsity and spent much of her time off the field improving her skills — even using a wall to practice by herself. As a sophomore, Patti moved up to the varsity, and even though her main duties were defensive, she still managed to score 23 goals.
Lerman saw the potential and moved Patti to forward for her junior year, a move she relished.
Patti scored 100 goals and helped the improving Falcons to an 11-7 mark, setting the stage for this year’s success.
“Tara is a great goal-scorer,” the coach said. “She doesn’t have the hardest shot, but she finds a way to put the ball in the net.”
Patti agreed. “A lot of times it comes down to just being quick around the net, and it’s all about reading the goaltender.”
That skill will come in handy when Patti tries out for the Rutgers University team this fall as a walk-on. Amember of the National Honor Society and one of the top students in her class, Patti is planning to become a physician’s assistant.