#Historic #Allentown #girls #lacrosse #season #ends #Group #championship #game #-
HADDONFIELD – It was an amazing run by the Allentown High girls lacrosse team, and it took a legendary program to bring it to an end.
The Redbirds headed into four-time defending state champion Haddonfield looking to capture their first sectional title since 2018, but the ‘Dawgs bite proved as loud as its bark.
No. 2 seeded Allentown never got the attack untracked, and when it did, No. 1 Haddonfield goalie Lexi Gwaku was there to deny them as the Bulldogs took a 13-4 decision in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group II sectional final on Monday night in Haddonfield.
The win brings the remarkable Allentown season to a close with a 22-2 record, a Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division championship, a Mercer County Tournament and a state sectional final.
The 22 wins equal the school record set by the state finalist team of 2013.
“We had a fantastic season and I am so proud of our girls,’’ said Allentown coach Justin Schmid. “This team did everything we asked and they are a tremendous group of girls and very talented. What we have to do now is learn from this and how you want to take the next step.’’
When it comes time for the next step there will be a lot of familiar faces as the Redbirds have only two seniors, Kendall Chandonnet and Lane Mintchwarner. Both are defenders that played a key role in the success this season.
After a goal was denied early when a shooting space foul was called, the ‘Dawgs’ attack with great anticipation from its defense built a 7-2 lead at halftime.
When Haddonfield’s Stella Stolarick intercepted a pass and scored just 27 seconds into the second half, it ignited a three-goal surge in the first five minutes of the second half and a 10-2 Haddonfield lead with 20:09 left in the game.
Allentown got three goals from sophomore Delaney Nolan and one from junior Abby von Harten with an assist from junior Chloe Conti and freshman Addison Wagner.
It has been an amazing season from Nolan. She led the Redbird attack all season and Nolan finished the season with 99 goals.
It is the highest single season total for the Redbirds since Alex Moore scored 119 in the 2013 season. Moore finished her career with a state-best 434 goals at the time.
Nolan is in some pretty impressive company as in just two seasons she has 139 career goals.
Haddonfield was led by Ava Keenan with four goals, Chloe Gwaku (a Yale recruit) had three goals, Stella Stolarick (a Delaware recruit) had two goals, with Lauren Hamblin, Carolyn Carson and Grace Farrell each getting one.
But, the ‘Dawgs player doing the most damage to the Redbirds was goalie Lexi Gwaku with 14 saves, and several bordered on phenomenal.
Lexi Gwaku is a Denver recruit.
“Their goalie was fantastic,’’ Schmid said of Gwaku. “It’s no surprise she is going to a program like Denver. They are just a so fundamentally sound team and all credit goes to them, they are a great program. They just came and took it to us.’’
Allentown is very young and talented, and it got a glimpse of the next step.
Allentown (22-2) 2 2 – 4
Haddonfield (17-4) 7 6 – 13
Goals: A: Nolan 3, von Harten. H: A. Keenan 4, C. Gwaku 3, Stolarick 2, Hamblin, Carson, F. Keenan, Farrell.
Assists: A: Conti, Wagner. H: DiMarino. Farrell, A. Keenan.
Shots: A: 18, H: 18. Saves: A: Conroy 5, H: L. Gwaku 14.
| Read More Latest News From United States of New Jersey |
