Team goals still bigger for girls lacrosse star
By Justin Feil, The Packet Group
Alex Moore never set out to be the top goal scorer in New Jersey, but rather wanted to help make the Allentown High School girls lacrosse team one of the best in the state.
On the path to her team goal, the individual mark fell as the AHS senior scored six goals on Saturday, including her record-breaking 366th as the Redbirds topped Shore Regional, 12-3. Red Bank Regional graduate Brie Moran’s 2006 record of 365 had been in danger when Moore found her passion.
”As a freshman and sophomore, I was really focused on helping the team win and also focused on where I wanted to go to pursue my college career,” said Moore, who will play at the University of Southern California next year. “I didn’t know what the record was. Stats were a second thought to me.
”What makes me the happiest is doing anything I can to contribute to the team,” she added. “When we lose, it’s a different story, but when we win and I know I contributed as much as I could, that’s when I’m happiest. If it’s scoring, or getting assists, or winning draws, I want to help however I can.”
What makes Moore happiest is seeing her team go end to end with a transition, from causing a turnover at one end to moving the ball quickly up to the offensive end where one of the attackers scores it. So often over the last four seasons, Moore has been on the finishing end of runs like those. It has added up — to 372 and counting after a 22-5 win over West Windsor-Plainsboro South on Monday in which Moore had four goals and four assists.
”She’s a phenomenal lacrosse player,” said Allentown head coach Mary Ellen McCarthy. “She accomplished an amazing goal on Saturday where she broke the New Jersey state scoring record.
”I knew she could get there. Alex knew she could get there. I’ve been talking to her throughout the season to say, ‘Enjoy it. This is something special. Let it happen because it’s going to happen.’ I think this season she’s less pressured than she was last season. I really think she’s enjoying the moments as they come.”
What has Moore and the Redbirds happiest this year is their sparkling record. They have won nine straight and climbed to No. 3 in the state’s Laxpower rankings that are used for state seedings. When Moore set the career scoring mark, it was a momentary diversion from the ultimate goal.
”It feels awesome to be playing in such competitive games,” Moore said. “It’s not like I’m just scoring in games that don’t matter. That’s also because my team is working so well together. And the reason I was able to accomplish it is my team is working so well together. It made it 10 times better to have my teammates share the feeling with me and my coaches, and my family. Both my grandfathers were there, which made it really special.
”It’s unbelievable the feeling of having them behind you when you do this. It’s not just a one-person accomplishment.”
Moore felt a rush of emotions as she was swarmed by the teammates that she credits for helping her achieve the record-breaking goal.
”I think they’re very proud of her, but we don’t talk about it a lot,” McCarthy said. “We just play. The big picture for all the girls is to bring home a championship. Alex getting that record adds to that. We don’t sit around talking about records. We talk about the collective team and what we can individually to help the team. Alex has done that.
”She definitely has put Allentown lacrosse on the map, and so have the seniors she’s playing with.”
The Redbirds are a more veteran and a more balanced team this season. Against WW-P South on Monday, Andrea Trentacosti also scored four goals and had two assists, Kali Hartshorn and Ali Bulk each had three goals and three assists apiece, Sydney Quinn had three goals and two assists and Sara Hanley had two goals and an assist.
”We look a lot more mature this year,” Moore said. “Our chemistry is so much better, not that it wasn’t good last year. But our defense works well together and it goes all the way up through our offense. Half of us have been playing together since third grade. To see how our team works together, and how many scorers we have, it’s so good to see how together our team has become.
”We’ve said this is our year. We’re not going to let the feeling of losing happen again. It shows in this season.”
The Redbirds lost in their first Mercer County Tournament final appearance last year as well as the states. Their rise has put a target on them, and it’s taken Allentown’s depth and skill to put opponents away in the second half.
”Usually the first half the teams bring it,” McCarthy said. “They bring it hard. We’re trying to get into a flow and a rhythm and we make adjustments at halftime and I try to get them to set the tone and be patient.”
McCarthy saw it in the Shore game. It was a 3-2 lead at halftime before her team wore down the visitors and triumphed again while riding the momentum gained by the good feelings around Moore’s moment.
”I think as a senior she seems like the pressure is off her,” McCarthy said. “She seems more confident, more calm. I’ve been with these seniors four years. I have a poster in my room that says, ‘Calm, cool and collected.’ I really feel like my seniors have finally gotten there.
”To have these seniors, Shore was beating us 3-2 at half, and the second half would have been crazy (in years past). We would have been throwing the ball all over the place, we would have been forcing going to goal. I’m impressed how mature they’ve gotten and how much they’ve grown — all of the seniors. I’m very, very aware of the calm and collectiveness they’ve had.”
There’s also a leadership component to their success. It’s hard not to work at your game when the state’s leading scorer is staying after practices to work on her free position shooting.
”She had a lot of the same qualities and characteristics of the other freshmen that were starting,” McCarthy said. “I really think her sophomore year is shen she started to explode.
”She’s more confident, and just making better decisions. The desire and dedication and the want to be the best lacrosse player in the area — that’s what she wants. She’s always wanted that.”
Moore has drawn the attention of opposing defenses and has been guarded every conceivable way. With a team that has also improved steadily, opponents haven’t been able to put all their attention on Moore.
”She’s stepping up to that pressure better than she ever has,” McCarthy said. “What Allentown lacrosse is lucky enough to have, is the people surrounding her. Some teams only have one Alex. We have Ali Bulk, Sydney Quinn, Sara Hanley and Kali Hartshorn, who are all double digit goal scorers who complement Alex. It’s the mixture of these girls that’s making it so successful. They play off each other very well.”
The Redbirds team has made it even tougher to stop Moore, and in that environment she developed into the most prolific goal scorer in New Jersey history.
”It was a once in a lifetime feeling and I’m glad to share it with my team and family,” Moore said. “If I could relive that with my team, I totally would.”
She will have the chance if the Redbirds can capture their championship goals later in the season. But to do so, the state scoring leader will likely have to add to her ever-growing record.
”Going into this season, I was going in with the attitude that we’re not losing MCTs again and not losing state finals again,” Moore said. “We’re coming back bigger and better. I’m going to do what I can to get us to the milestones we want to accomplish as a team.”