Glen Ridge HS girls’ lacrosse team wins third straight ECT title

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Photos by Steve Ellmore: Glen Ridge (white uniforms) vs. Montclair, ECT final, May 5, at Verona HS

GLEN RIDGE, NJ – The Glen Ridge High School girls’ varsity lacrosse team reigns supreme in Essex County.

The Ridgers captured their third straight Essex County Tournament championship and sixth in the last 10 years with a hard-fought 11-9 victory over Montclair in the final held at Verona HS on Saturday, May 5.

Glen Ridge led 6-5 at halftime and held on to beat Montclair in the final for the second straight year.

Sophomore Gretchen Gilmore scored four goals, junior Jenny Lisovicz had three goals and junior Charlotte Smith posted two goals for the top-seeded Ridgers, who won their sixth straight game to improve to a 10-4 record. Junior Claire McMahon and sophomore Campbell Moriarty each had a goal and junior goalie Lily Kinley made six saves for the Ridgers.

Glen Ridge defeated Montclair earlier this season by a 14-5 score on April 23.

The Ridgers, under 10th-year head coach Beth Larkin, appeared in their eighth ECT final in the last nine years since 2010. They also won the title in 2010, 2012 and 2013 and were runner-up in 2011 and 2014.

Larkin was ecstatic for her team in winning the ECT title.

“The game was very exciting and a back-and-forth scene for most of the game,” Larkin said in an email to The Glen Ridge Paper. “Our girls never gave up and kept fighting throughout. We took control of the game with about 10 minutes left. Our defense really locked down and denied Montclair any real chances at the goal. The game was tied at 8-8. Jenny Lisovicz broke the tie at 7:35, Gretchen Gilmore made it 10-8 at 6:44 and then Charlotte Smith put the final nail in on a man-down goal at 4:22. Montclair did score one more goal with :40 left, but we won the last draw and ran out the clock.

“The girls just played tough throughout the entire game and never gave up. They kept moving forward and supported one another. It was a great win for our young squad. I think it really showed how much we have grown and matured throughout the season to be able to persevere and not crumble under a high pressure situation like this county final proved to be. I’m really proud of this team!”

  Glen Ridge High School girls lacrosse