Seniors determined to win title
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
Hillsborough High seniors Lindsey Watts and Sara DiClemente made sure they didn’t let the disappointment of losing in the Somerset County finals spoil the rest of their final scholastic lacrosse season.
The HHS senior duo led the Raiders (18-4) to two victories in the North Jersey Group 4 playoffs last week to produce yet another rematch with rival Bridgewater-Raritan in the sectional final. B-R defeated Hillsborough in the county final, but last week’s wins over Old Bridge (14-8) and Columbia (14-11) earned the Raiders a date in Wednesday afternoon’s North Group 4 championship game in Bridgewater.
Watts and DiClemente were stopped cold in the county final, managing just one goal between them. They came back with a vengeance in the state tournament, accounting for 17 of the team’s 28 goals.
”After that game, we were all really disappointed,” DiClemente said. “We had to move on and focus for the state tournament. We got back in our game. We didn’t let it get us down.”
DiClemente and Watts scored three goals apiece in Hillsborough’s quarterfinal victory over Old Bridge. DiClemente scored the 100th goal of her career in that game.
Two days later on Thursday afternoon back on the home turf, Watts went wild with a season-high seven goals to go over 200 for her career. DiClemente tallied four times to help the Raiders defeat Columbia and reach their second sectional final. HHS lost at West Morris Mendham in 2005 in Ali DeLuca’s final high school game.
The Raiders were stopped in last year’s sectional semifinals on their home field and started slowly in last week’s game vs. Columbia. Kelsey Palmer scored the first goal of the game but Columbia netted the next two and held Hillsborough scoreless for almost 10 minutes in taking a 2-1 lead.
Hillsborough picked up the pace and fired in eight goals in the final 13:39 of the half to take a 9-5 lead. DiClemente tied it at 2-2 with a bouncing shot off a nice spin move with 13:39 left in the half. Watts got on the board with a nice rush and high shot to the cage with 10:55 to go, but Columbia tied it at 3-3 two minutes later.
Watts put the Raiders ahead to stay with an unassisted goal with 8:03 remaining in the half. She flashed in front of the cage and released a quick shot. DiClemente followed with a high blast for a 5-3 lead at 6:43. Columbia battled back to within one with just over four minutes left but the Raiders exploded for four goals in the final three minutes to take a comfortable lead into the break. Palmer and DiClemente made it 7-4 and Watts buried two shots in the final 1:11 of the half.
”It definitely was mentally draining to lose Sunday (in the county final),” Watts said. “We had to put it behind us and come back for the states. It was definitely a team effort. We all pulled everything together.”
”We were a little sloppy in the beginning and neither team was getting anything done,” DiClemente added. “Then, we got into our offense and started making goals.”
This game certainly was not over. Columbia had rallied with a 6-1 flurry in the second half of its quarterfinal victory over Vernon and the visitors scored the first two goals of the second half at Hillsborough to make things tight.
Watts answered with two goals to restore the four-goal margin. She converted on a fast break with 16:38 to play and took a nice feed from Dorian Gilmartin-Dzitko from behind the cage to make it 11-7 with 14:55 left. DiClemente, Watts and Gilmartin-Dzitko added goals in the final 9:31 to keep the Raiders ahead.
”We scored when we needed to score,” HHS assistant coach Laurie Stagnitta said. “We came up with some big goals. We can put the gall in the back of the cage.”
Sophomore goalkeeper Chelsea Williamson had a solid game with 10 saves, including several point-blank stops. The defense played well in front of Williamson. Katie DeLuca did a solid job marking Katie Buechel, Columbia’s most dangerous player.
”The defense was very aggressive,” Stagnitta said. “We made them beat us with the pass. They have a very athletic team and they’re as fast as we are. I was concerned the whole game.”
Hillsborough’s seniors came up big and made sure the team’s season did not end in the semifinals again. That motivation carried the Raiders into the sectional final.
”If we lose, we’re done,” DiClemente said. “You start thinking it could be your last game. That helps you rally. You want to keep winning. You want to go as far as you can.”