It was the miraculous offense of Kate Russo and Christie Fredericks that lifted the Angels over the visiting Falcons in a close contest.
The heavenly duo scored four times each to supply the bulk of the offense. Goalie Amy Oakley netted 12 opposing shots to stop Jefferson Township from gathering any momentum, as the home team notched a 12-8 victory.
The Angels set the tone from the start, as Renee Coulouris scored 35 seconds into the game, off a shooting space penalty. Minutes later the Angels struck again, perfectly executing passes in front of the net dizzying the opposing goalie. Russo dished it to a cutting Erin Mack who turned and fired a low ball into the net for the early 2-0 lead.
"It’s always good to score from the start because it sets the tempo," said Russo. "We came out running really fast and were able to get everyone involved in front of the net, but also slow down the game when we needed to and see the wide open cuts."
On the other side of the field, the Angel defense held its ground by using double and even triple teams to stop the Falcons from running their offensive plays. The defensive effort also put Oakley’s nerves at ease and boosted her confidence.
"We defended well and our offense did a great job holding onto the ball," said Oakley. "When our defenders play well they make my job a lot easier."
With the stingy Angel defense only allowing one Falcon goal in about the first 20 minutes, Oakley settled into a groove.
"Before the game we make specific goals," said Fredericks. "One of those goals was to go four minutes without them scoring. You could say to allow one goal in 20 minutes, everyone was really focused."
The home team took advantage of the Jefferson Township scoring lull to put four more points on the board for the 6-1 lead. Russo scored twice bouncing the ball to the back of the net. Fredericks and Mack each scored once using quick head and shoulder fakes.
"We’re good at first draws and we come out with a spark," said Mack. "Our plan is to blow out teams with our speed and take them by surprise. We broke down their zone with double cuts to find the open shot."
Lack of communication on the Angels allowed Jefferson Township to stage a comeback before the half cutting the deficit to 7-5 with 1:26 remaining. Russo took it upon herself the stop the Falcon rally picking up a loose ball before firing to the end of the net to bump the lead back to three.
"I just picked up the ball and knew we somehow had to break up the momentum," said Russo. "It gave us a positive boost going into halftime."
Russo carried that momentum out of the half and with a look of determination, she snagged a rebound off a teammate’s missed shot to swiftly pivot and launch a bouncing ball underneath the goalie’s legs. Everything was going according to coach Anne Coomber’s plan.
"One positive was our re-defending where we shot the ball missed and our offense turned around to play defense," said Coomber. "Our double teams forced them to run out of bounce or drop the ball. On offense we were finding the right spots, pressuring their defenders and locating the open shooter."
With 6:15 left, Oakley made a key save to again stifle a Falcon comeback. When the score was 9-7, Jefferson Township was awarded a one-on-one shot. Oakley clanged her stick on the sides of the goal and ran in place.
"I try to get psyched and scare the shooter," said Oakley. "My teammates say I do my dance. I think it helped and I also had a hint she’d shoot low, since they did that for most of the game."
Whether it was the intimidation dance or intuition to look out for the bouncer, it worked. Fredericks capped the day off with a couple late goals sending the Falcons off with a loss. The Angels are now 7-2 and a major contender to make this season a special one. In its third year of existence, the young lacrosse program is brewing success.
"I’m ecstatic to be 7-2 because in the past couple of years we’ve been doormats," said Mack. "Everyone is just proud of the many things we’ve accomplished this season and we hope to keep it going."
