Columbia HS girls lacrosse team enjoys fine season

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MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School girls lacrosse team enjoyed another successful season.

Under head coach Steve Ramos, the Cougars finished with an 11-8 overall record. Ramos said the team had some great highlights during the season. They had a few close losses, including in the first round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Group 4 state tournament against Ridge by a 9-5 score. 

“Overall, we had great scoring balance with seven girls scoring more than 30 points,” Ramos said.

For the Cougars, sophomore midfielder Margaret McManus and junior attacker Olivia Fitzsimons scored a point in every regular-season game, Ramos noted. 

“As a group, we played super hard,” Ramos said. “(We are) still young. (The) culture is definitely changing.”

Ramos said his team posted great efforts against Madison, Morris Knolls and Montclair. 

“We got better technically and played hard every game, no regrets with effort,” Ramos said. “The girls worked extremely hard, watched lots of film, and learned how to apply our scouting report to prepare for opponents.”

Ramos said the Cougars’ goals scored increased by 100 for the season. “Amazing sharing of the ball and trust was established, (it) obviously helps when one of your top players gets shut down,” he said. “We surprised a bunch of teams that didn’t expect much from us. We were not an easy out. (I’m) proud of that. Draw controls by (freshman midfielder Anabel) MacGuire and McManus were so important, (a) great improvement from last year. Austin Little, our new assistant coach, did a great job with the girls, that’s evident by the balanced scoring.”

Senior goalie Julianne Henigan was tremendous and will be missed, said Ramos. Henigan amassed 511 saves in three years of play. yielding just under 11 a game. “So many times she stood on her head and kept us in games,” Ramos said. “Big thanks to goalie coach Neal Goldstein, who was tireless and so committed during the offseason getting the goalies ready.”

Ramos said the team had a very athletic freshmen group this year, and next year’s freshmen class is promising as well. “Hopefully we can win a few of the close ones next year,” Ramos said. “Things are no doubt trending in the right direction.”

CHS notable season stats:

• Olivia Fitzsimmons, junior attacker/midfielder: 47 goals, 11 assists (58 points), 11 draw controls, 17 forced turnovers.
• Jamie Fardin, senior midfielder/defender: 44 goals, 18 assists (62 points), 64 ground balls, 50 draw controls, 29 forced turnovers.
• Margaret McManus, sophomore midfielder: 42 goals, 11 assists (53 points), 60 ground balls, 61 draw controls, 20 forced turnovers.
• Evie Campbell, sophomore attacker: 26 goals, 18 assists (44 points), 33 ground balls, 2 draw controls, 17 forced turnovers.
• Katie O’Mara, senior attacker: 25 goals, 11 assists (36 points), 26 ground balls, 2 draw controls, 6 forced turnovers.
• Sophia Randazza, senior attacker: 22 goals, 23 assists (45 points), 30 ground balls, 7 forced turnovers.
• Anabel MacGuire, freshman midfielder: 18 goals, 14 assists (32 points), 63 ground balls, 73 draw controls, 29 forced turnovers.
• Maddie McKinstrie, freshman midfielder: 6 goals, 1 assist, 8 ground balls, 6 draw controls, 3 forced turnovers.
• Kalina Taylor, senior midfielder: 5 goals, 1 assist, 18 ground balls, 7 draw controls, 3 forced turnovers.
• Molly Bigelow, junior defender: 33 ground balls, 20 forced turnovers.
• Cornelia Hetherington, senior defender: 25 ground balls, 14 forced turnovers, 2 draw controls.
• Annabelle Nelson, freshman defender: 12 ground balls, 6 forced turnovers.
• Riley Silverstein, senior defender: 20 ground balls, 18 forced turnovers.
• Adrien Carter, senior defender: 3 ground balls.
• Julia Hartley, sophomore attacker: 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 ground balls.
• Claire Wissel, freshman defender: 3 ground balls, 4 forced turnovers.
• Paloma Duvergne, junior midfielder/defender: 1 goal, 3 ground balls.

Columbia HS honors

All-NJIGLL–Freedom South Division

First team

• Jamie Fardin, midfielder.
• Olivia Fitzsimmons, attacker.

Second team

• Margaret McManus, midfielder.
• Julianne Henigan, goalie.
• Evie Campbell, attacker.
• Molly Bigelow, defender.

Honorable mention

• Sophia Randazza, senior.

All–Super Essex Conference–Liberty Division

First team

• Julianne Henigan, senior.
• Jamie Fardin, senior.
• Olivia Fitzsimmons, junior.
• Margaret McManus, sophomore.

Second team

• Riley Silverstein, senior.
• Katie O’Mara, senior.
• Sophia Randazza, senior.
• Anabel MacGuire, freshman.

Honorable mention

• Cornelia Hetherington, senior.

Photos Courtesy of Douglas Zacker