GRHS girls' lacrosse team gathers after winning the ECT title on May 6.
GLEN RIDGE, NJ (updated Sunday May 7, 6:23 p.m.) – The Glen Ridge High School girls’ varsity lacrosse team solidified its dominance in Essex County this decade.
The top-seeded Ridgers won their second straight Essex County Tournament championship and fifth overall county title since 2010 after defeating second-seeded Montclair, 18-11, in the ECT title game held at Livingston High School on Saturday, May 6.
Sophomore attack Claire McMahon had five goals and four assists and freshman midfielder Gretchen Gilmore had four goals and one assist to power the Ridgers, who won their seventh straight game to improve to a 13-2 record.
Senior midfielder Juliann Lisovicz and senior attack Maggie Smith each had three goals; freshman defender Jennifer Lisovicz had one goal and one assist and senior midfielders Colleen Grady and Galen Lew each had a goal and three ground balls for GRHS.
Sophomore goalie Lily Kinley made 10 saves for the Ridgers.
GRHS, under ninth-year head coach Beth Larkin, have won ECT titles in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2016, in addition to this year’s championship. The Ridgers have appeared in every ECT final this decade except for 2015. They were runner-up in the ECT in 2011 and 2014. This is the 13th year of the ECT.
“I’m very happy to win back to back titles with this group,” said Larkin. “I think we came out a little nervous to start the game and Montclair capitalized to go up 3-1, but then we calmed down and scored the next seven, and never looked back. It was a great team effort where we were really unselfish with the ball and we hustled all over the field. It was evident in our dispersed scoring and our transition game where we were really finding the open players to move the ball downfield quickly, after a strong defensive stance.
“I’m really proud of this group and how they maintained total focus and intensity throughout the entire game.”
In their previous game, the Ridgers defeated Columbia, 17-1, May 3, in regular-season action at Watsessing Park. Colleen Grady scored three goals, including the 200th of her career. Maggie Smith also had three goals and one assist; Charlotte Smith had two goals and two assists; Gilmore had two goals; McMahon contributed a goal and an assist; Madison Grady, sophomore Cece Keppel, Juliann Lisovicz and senior Bryanna O’Keefe each added a goal and Lew and Jennifer Lisovicz each posted an assist. Kinley made two saves.
Colleen Grady has 52 goals this season and 202 for her career. She will continue her lacrosse career at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pa. on an athletic scholarship.
Photo 2: GRHS seniors. Bottom row, from left, Merritt Davie, Colleen Grady, Galen Lew, Alex Manolis, and Juliann Lisovicz. Top row, from left, Meghan Marhan, Maggie Smith, Bryanna O’Keefe, and Leslie Jaiyesimi.
Photo 3: Pictured are three sets of sisters. From left, sophomore Jenny Lisovicz and senior Julianne Liisovicz; senior Maggie Smith and soph. Charlotte Smith; and senior Colleen Grady and freshman Madison Grady.
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