MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Columbia High School girls lacrosse team had a tough season in 2021, after all spring sports were canceled the previous year due to the pandemic.
But the Lady Cougars, under head coach Steve Ramos, bounced back nicely this spring and posted a winning season, finishing with a 9-7 overall record and 6-2 in the New Jersey Interscholastic Girls Lacrosse League—Independence Division.
Ramos, a 1982 CHS graduate, was named the NJ.com Independence Division coach of the year.
Ramos has deep roots in lacrosse in the community. He played for legendary head coach Bob Curcio at Columbia and got into coaching around 2000 with the Maplewood youth program, helping it blossom from 30 to 300 kids at one point.
Ramos’ two sons, Alec and Dustin, both played lacrosse at CHS, graduating in 2013 and 2015 respectively.
Ramos has also served as a volunteer coach for the CHS boys lacrosse program, under then–head coach Dave Brothers.
Ramos became the girls lacrosse head coach in 2017. After taking a year off in 2018, he returned to the helm in 2019. When the program returned to action in 2021 following the canceled 2020 season, the team finished 7-12; several close losses prevented them from having a .500 season. The league was tough, with around 14 all-American players combined. Ramos also coached his daughter, Lily, who was a senior on the CHS team in 2021.
This year’s team was relatively young and will return a good core, led by rising seniors Julianne Hatton-Henigan and Jamie Fardin. Hatton-Henigan is one of the best goalies in the state, according to Ramos. She has committed to play at Denison University, in Granville, Ohio, in 2024. Denison is one of top Division III programs in the nation.
Fardin has committed to play at Division I Elon University.
Interestingly, CHS boys head coach Dylan Heningburg, who was named state Group 4 coach of the year by the coaches this season, played for Ramos as a youth. Most of Heningburg’s assistant coaches also played for Ramos.
Ramos, indeed, was proud of his team’s efforts this season.
“We had great participation during the off-season, so we were very optimistic about this season,” Ramos said. “We set a few goals and reached most of them throughout the year, and we feel like we are turning things around. The culture has definitely shifted in the right direction. The girls play hard and are committed to the program. There’s an expectation for how we do things on and off the field.
“I’m excited about the momentum we have been making in the Maplewood Lacrosse Club, lots of club girls playing travel lacrosse during the summer,” he added. “The future looks bright — lots of talent on the rise.”
Ramos also lauded his assistant coaches. They are varsity assistant Nicholas Rabiecki, goalie coach Neil Goldstein, and junior varsity coaches Donte Dennis and Austin Little, who graduated from CHS in 2011.
Columbia HS girls lacrosse’s Steve Ramos named division coach of the year, reflects on team’s fine season added by Joe Ragozzino on
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