Shore girls’ memorable season comes to an end

CHRIS KELLY Shore Regional’s Monica Miceli reverses her direction in front of a Moorestown defender during the Blue Devils’ South Jersey Group B final loss last Friday in Moorestown.

Shore Regional’s lacrosse team set some very difficult goals for itself at the beginning of the season.

The squad wanted to establish itself as a local power, while simultaneously taking the program to the next level by competing with some of the state’s elite teams.

They accomplished both of those things, and in impressive fashion.

A year after tasting what it’s like to play in the the Shore Conference and the NJSIAA sectional tournaments, the Blue Devils mounted a brilliant run before ending their season at 20-1, losing only to Moorestown in the South Jersey Group B finals.

"I hate to lose, but I couldn’t ask anymore of my team," said Shore Regional head coach Chris Raichle. "Not too many people outside the program gave us much of a shot to achieve as much as we did. But the girls worked hard every time they stepped on the field, whether it be for practice or a game, and they deserve all the credit."

The 22-4 loss to Moorestown may have snapped the Blue Devils’ 20-game winning streak, but it gave them a better idea what it will take to compete with the state’s elite.

"At the beginning of the season we wanted to become good enough to challenge Jackson on the field," Raichle said. "Now, as a team, we see how we must grow to battle teams like Moorestown to win a state title."

Kaitlin Hampton stunned the hosting Quakers when she converted a solo effort at 23:10.

However, it didn’t take the 19-0 Moorestown team long to lock up the score, then power their way to a 6-1 lead.

The Quakers quickly showed why they are a perennial powerhouse in the Group B division, physically controlling the ball, using their crisp passes and demonstrating accurate shooting ability.

"You could see how powerful Moorestown is," Raichle said. "We knew that in order to have a chance we’d have to play our A game. I give the girls a lot of credit for having the heart to keep playing. The girls kept playing, always thinking they could find a way to win.

"That kind of heart and dedication you can’t teach; you just hope the kids develop it on their own. I was extremely lucky that my team did."

Moorestown continued to baffle Shore on both sides of the field, eventually dominating the blue-and-white for a 22-4 advantage.

Other Blue Devil players who scored in the sectional final were Casey Whalen, Ashley Waldman and Monica Miceli. Melissa Lehman was credited with an assist.

Despite the disappointment of season-ending loss, the Shore program made some great strides this season, establishing itself as a Shore Conference power. The Blue Devils defeated heavily-favored Jackson to win the Shore Conference crown, and advanced all the way to sectional final before losing to a state powerhouse. You don’t become a state-championship caliber team overnight. But you can’t stop a team with the heart of a champion from trying.

— Chris Kelly