By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
X @tortreports
FLEMINGTON — Ever since its string of consecutive state finals appearances from 2015 to 2019 that included three championships, the Moorestown High boys lacrosse program has taken its fair share of lumps, sprinkled with a bit of pure bad luck.
A pair of one-goal losses to Shawnee in the sectional tournament ended the Quakers’ last two seasons, and they were determined to not let that happen again.
In a complete team effort, the Quakers returned back to the promised land on Saturday, edging Ridge, 9-8, in the Group 3 state final at Hunterdon Central High. Chase Caulder paced the Quakers with three goals, two of which came in the first half, and his final tally gave the Quakers a 7-6 lead with 8:32 remaining. Despite the dominance, he still credited the victory as a full team effort.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to get the job done,” said Caulder, a junior. “Having my players on the sidelines, when I come off, giving me water and Gatorade, telling me to ‘keep it going, keep it going’. Without the extra support of my teammates, I don’t think I would’ve been here. Without my team, I’m nothing here. This feels good after tough losses the past couple of years. Having happy tears instead of sad tears is definitely the best part of this whole thing. This feels phenomenal, this is the best feeling in the world. I’m going to remember this for a very long time.”
Said Moorestown coach Brian Cary, “Caulder is probably the best midfielder in the state of New Jersey. I stand firmly by that. I said that at our all-state meetings, and I don’t think he gets nearly the amount of recognition he deserves. He’s one of the best D-mids, and an offensive threat. We were down a face-off kid today, and he picked up a stick to take faceoffs, and he battled his rear-end off. When he’s on, dialed in, he’s hitting corners like it’s nothing.”
Moorestown junior Eric Morano tallied two timely goals for the Quakers, both being the final two goals the team scored. He gave them an 8-6 lead with six minutes left, and another strike to put them up 9-7 with 1:23 remaining. Morano struck when it mattered most, having an answer for each Ridge response.
“It kind of happened really fast, I was a little blacked out after running back and forth,” Morano said of his first strike. “Seeing my teammates all celebrating after with me — I can’t even explain the feeling. It felt like a greater feeling I’ve ever felt in my life to do that for my team, to step up like that in such a dire moment. Finally bringing back the gold to my town is something I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.”
Moorestown (17-5, 4-0 Olympic American) earned its sixth state championship in program history, and its third in the last eight years. This one, however, was the sweetest for fourth-year coach Cary.
“It’s been a long ride,” he said. “2019 is the last time we were state champs, I was on that staff. In 2017 we were state champs, I was on that staff, but there’s something different about this year. It’s been an uphill battle, we had some lean years in there, but these guys earned everything. I’m thrilled, at a loss for words. I’m proud of these kids, man, they battled all season long. They come to work every single day. They were not going to be denied this year. It’s been a couple tough years losing in the sectional finals to good teams, and this team was not going to be denied.”
Girls Lacrosse Group 3 state final: Chatham 9, Moorestown 8.
Moorestown held a four-goal lead over Chatham after the first quarter, but it didn’t last long. The Cougars chipped away at the Quakers’ lead to send the game into overtime.
Not one, not two, but three. Yep, you read that right — triple overtime for the state championship.
Moorestown fell to a controversial shot from Chatham’s Grace Hallahan. Quaker fans argued that it was a charge, but the call was not reversed. When asked, Quakers coach Colleen Hancox didn’t comment further than saying she “thought it was a charge.”
Quakers senior Emma Greer ends her career with 134 goals, 41 coming this season.
“It was a great season,” the Lafayette commit said. “We had a goal and it was to play in this game. Obviously, it didn’t go our way, but we worked so hard to come on this field and try to win. It didn’t happen this year, but next year I know that this team is going to come out with fire and use this to fuel that fire and come out on top. I love MG lax, it’s a great culture, it’s a great team and I will always be here to support them.”
“I think this one,” she said when asked which moment she’ll remember most. “I think that we fought so hard and we played with all our heart. We really left everything out there on the field.”
Katie Bianco scored two goals on Saturday, finishing her junior campaign with 65. She stands at 171 for her career.
“I’m beyond proud of this team, the way they have worked, and everything we have accomplished together,” said Bianco. “Going into next season, all I can tell you is that I won’t forget this feeling. I won’t be forgetting the way that I’m feeling right now, and I’m going to use that feeling— use that to drive into next season. I can’t say how proud I am of my teammates, my coaches, and everyone here who supports this team, but just know that we’ll be back.”
Moorestown finishes the season with an 18-4 record, including a perfect Olympic American division mark.
“I think that we did have a great season,” coach Hancox said. “We played well and saw lots of different situations. This group was a hungry group, we had a great group of seniors. I thought they did a great job leading the team. They left it all out there on that field, and as a coach, that’s all you can ask for. Overtime situations are all about keeping composure.”
