Rumson girls regain section title before falling in Group II finals

By MATTHEW ROCCO
Correspondent

 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s Brittany Bruno, left, and Red Bank Catholic High School’s Alexa Bezzone chase after a loose ball during the NJSIAA South Jersey Group II finals May 27 at Rumson. The Bulldogs captured their first state sectional title since 2011, beating their Shore Conference rivals, 14-5.  STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s Brittany Bruno, left, and Red Bank Catholic High School’s Alexa Bezzone chase after a loose ball during the NJSIAA South Jersey Group II finals May 27 at Rumson. The Bulldogs captured their first state sectional title since 2011, beating their Shore Conference rivals, 14-5. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR After claiming the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School’s girls lacrosse team was bidding to win its first group championship.

Although the first group championship eluded the Bulldogs when North Jersey champion Summit High School defeated them, 11-5, May 30 at Kean University, it did not diminish a memorable 2015 campaign.

The Bulldogs finished the season with a 23-2 overall record that included a 23-game winning streak (snapped by Summit) and the program’s first state sectional title since 2011.

In the Group II finals, the Bulldogs ran into state powerhouse Summit, which knocked Rumson-Fair Haven out of last year’s North Jersey finals. But the Bulldogs didn’t go down without a fight. Summit took an early 3-0 lead before Jillian Swikart and Morgan Steinhacker put Rumson-Fair Haven on the board to bring the Bulldogs within one goal at the 10:50 mark in the first half.

From there, Summit took control of the game.

The Hilltoppers scored twice before halftime and twice more to start the second half, extending their advantage to 7-2. Rumson-Fair Haven pulled within three goals, 8-5, before Summit sprinted to the finish line and closed out a 11-5 victory.

Rumson-Fair Haven’s Maggie Jennings found the back of the net for two goals, and Elizabeth Scarrone added one more goal, keeping the Bulldogs in the game with about six minutes remaining.

The 2015 season was still one for the record books. Rumson-Fair Haven earned the program’s third straight Shore Conference Tournament title with a 17-5 win over rival Shore Regional High School.

In the South Jersey Group II finals, Rumson-Fair Haven triumphed over another conference rival, Red Bank Catholic High School (RBC), for the program’s third NJSIAA sectional championship and its first since 2011.

Swikart, Scarrone and Brittany Bruno each scored hat tricks to carry the Bulldogs to a 14-5 win over RBC. Steinhacker added two goals, and senior goalie Anna Babiak made three saves.

The Bulldogs scored three times in the first five minutes to take change of the game from the get-go and never looked back. They led 8-2 at the half.

The top-seeded Bulldogs defeated Ewing High School 19-0, Somerville High School 18-3 and Delaware Valley Regional High School 13-6 on their way to the sectional finals against RBC played at Rumson May 27.

Sectional title for Shore Regional

As for Shore Regional, the Blue Devils bounced back from their Shore Conference Tournament loss to take home a sectional title of their own.

The top-seeded Blue Devils edged Holy Cross High School, 7-6, in the final match of the South Jersey Group I playoffs, thanks to an unassisted goal by Rebecca Witschel. The junior scored her third goal of the game to put Shore Regional ahead with seven minutes left, capitalizing on Allie Reiser’s game-tying goal.

Shore Regional’s defense, led by Shannon Bonner, Emily Olsen, Megan Racioppi and goalie Sarah Giordano, held down Holy Cross the rest of the way.

Offensive contributions also came from Lauren Britton and Mary Kate George.

Like Rumson-Fair Haven, Shore Regional (19-5) fell short during the group stage. Oak Knoll School surged past Shore Regional, 13-4, to capture the Group I crown.