Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School’s girls lacrosse team turned in a superb 19-4 season while making its way to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and the NJSIAA South Jersey Group II finals.
The Caseys will lose several talented players to graduation, but the best may be yet to come for coach Lisa Caprioni’s team as the bulk of its starting lineup will return next year.
RBC will again have plenty of firepower up front in junior Cameron Lynch, who led the team in scoring with 86 goals and 27 assists. Sophomore Olivia Farrington pitched in with 52 goals and 24 assists, and fellow sophomore Amanda Murphy tallied 37 goals to go with 12 assists.
Along with senior Arianna Mancini, who had 38 goals and 17 assists, they powered the Caseys into the South Jersey Group II finals, where RBC fell to No. 1-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (24-1) May 27, 14-5, despite a pair of goals from Lynch.
Farrington and Lynch scored three goals apiece in second-seeded RBC’s 11-10 semifinal win May 21 against West Deptford High School (16-4), the third seed, but it was junior defender Lizzy Small who netted the game-winner with just 23 seconds remaining in the match. Murphy’s five-goal performance spurred RBC to a 15-9 win over seventh-seeded Robbinsville High School (7-9) in the quarterfinals May 19. Caprioni’s team lost a nail-biting, 5-4 decision against third-seeded Shore Regional High School (19-6) in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals. Farrington, Lynch, Murphy and Jackie Mauro all scored for the Caseys, who came back from a 4-1 first-half deficit. Second-seeded RBC had several chances in the waning minutes but could not get the equalizing goal. Shore Regional lost to Rumson-Fair Haven in the championship match.
“We had a couple of tough losses in the tournaments,” Caprioni said. “We were right there with Shore Regional, but we had trouble with Rumson. Still, they’re both good teams.”
The Caseys’ rivalry with Rumson-Fair Haven will likely continue next spring, as the Bulldogs return several players from a balanced offense, as well as goalie Anna Babiak.
While RBC loses Mancini and Mauro (20 goals), there are several younger players who will see increased minutes next year. They include junior Kathy Whitlock, who scored 22 goals; sophomore Erika Recanzone, who had 13 tallies; and freshman Kristen Pezzullo, who netted 11 goals to go with nine assists.
Small, fellow junior Alex Bezzone and sophomore Jillian McHugh are back to spearhead the defense in front of Emily Kirnan. The sophomore went 10-4 with 89 saves while splitting the goaltending duties with senior Sabrina Arbes.