By: Rich Fisher
First, there was Tanya Earl. Then came Kate Marowitz.
And now, Alana Jogan is being anointed the heir apparent as Queen of Scoring for the South Brunswick High girls lacrosse program.
Just a sophomore, Jogan is already being talked about as the girl who could break the Vikings’ career scoring record of 102, which was set by Marowitz last season. Marowitz edged Earl’s mark of 100.
"I think about it every day," Jogan said after scoring three goals in just 15 minutes in the Vikings’ 18-1 win over South Plainfield’s first-year program Saturday. "It’s like, my goal."
While that might seem to go against the "team first" attitude, consider that it’s Jogan’s job to score goals, and the more she gets the better it is for the team.
Last year, she exploded on the scene with 19 goals, which was second on the team to Marowitz. This year she’s off to a torrid start for the 3-3 Vikings with 22 goals. Jogan could have padded her stats against South Plainfield but was removed from the game early so she could rest her foot (tendinitis) and give others a chance to play.
"Her foot is definitely getting better," said coach Gail DeMarco, who is fairly certain Jogan will be the school’s next record holder. "She looked OK when she was out there today. She was in position, working as hard as she usually does."
Jogan gradually developed tendinitis in her foot, which she feels is the result of playing two sports. She has played soccer all her life and began playing lacrosse for the Crossroads team that was formed when she was in eighth grade.
"Me and my friends were like ‘Let’s do lacrosse! Let’s do lacrosse!’" Jogan said. "It was something to do, and I just really like it now."
When Jogan showed up at lacrosse practice last year, DeMarco was in for a pleasant surprise.
"I don’t think I had the information on her, so I was excited when I saw her," the coach said. "It was reminiscent of Tanya Earl. She has great scoring instincts. That’s her environment, that’s where she shines on the athletic field, right around the goal."
This year, it was iffy as to when Jogan would start playing, due to the tendinitis.
"I was off for most of spring break," she said. "But I finally got to play in the first game. It’s hurting a little today (Saturday), it’s a little tight. I think playing two sports kind of wore it out."
You would never know she was hurting, however, by watching Jogan play. She explodes to the goal with a burst of speed and has a quick stick that gets a shot off before goalies can react.
And, like all great scorers, Jogan couples her talent with an intense hunger to score.
"I definitely get fired up around the goal," she said. "I look at the girl next to me, I just wait to get that ball and I’m just thinking I want it more. That’s what it comes down to."
"She just has very natural ability," DeMarco said. "She knows where to go, she puts the ball exactly where it belongs."
Jogan feels that playing soccer for so long made it easier for her to adapt to lacrosse, which is somewhat a combination of soccer and basketball.
"Where I play on the (lacrosse) field, and how I look at the field has a lot to do with me playing soccer in general," said Jogan, who is also a forward on the pitch. "Lacrosse came pretty natural. It gets hard sometimes, but I still like it."
What’s not to like? Especially with the way she has started this year. What makes Jogan’s efforts even more impressive is that spring is the only time she really works on lacrosse, as the rest of the year is spent playing soccer.
"She’s having an awesome start, she really is," DeMarco said. "She just knows where to go, and the girls know that. They work really well together, they give her the ball, she scores."
Jogan feels a lot of it has to do with chemistry, as she is in her second season of playing with a lot of her teammates.
"I think that we’re building more as a team," she said. "We’ve practiced on our weaknesses and we’re just getting stronger. We’re clicking a lot better together."
LAX LEFTOVERS: In Saturday’s victory, Danielle Bussiere had four goals and two assists, while Ali Ruggeriello, Heather Bacci, Lori Schmon, Ashley Foltiny and Katie Campisano had two each. Jasmine Hemmings got her first of the year after hitting the post on one shot and being robbed on a great save on another. Kristen Earl and Ruggeriello had assists . . . The Vikes three-game win streak was halted Monday when Hillsborough (4-1) took a 13-1 halftime lead and won 20-6. Jogan had three goals, Foltiny two and Schmon one.
