SPORTS

Titans get 1st win on Senior Night

By ALEX SPONSELLER
Posted 5/18/23

After losing its first nine games of the season, the Toll Gate girls lacrosse team would earn its first victory of the spring in a 14-12 decision over Middletown in a Senior Night showdown last week.

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SPORTS

Titans get 1st win on Senior Night

Posted

After losing its first nine games of the season, the Toll Gate girls lacrosse team would earn its first victory of the spring in a 14-12 decision over Middletown in a Senior Night showdown last week.

The Titans, who were coming into the year off a semifinals appearance last season, have struggled to keep pace with the Division II field. Middletown entered the matchup with a 7-3 record and beat Toll Gate 12-3 earlier this season.

However, it would be the Titans who took control early and would mount a 9-4 lead by halftime. Although Middletown came out hot in the second half and scored three straight goals to pull itself back into the game, the Titans would continue to produce and hold on for the win.

“Something about our energy was different today. We started off strong and kept that enthusiasm, scoring early helped motivate us. Keeping that rhythm helped and after losing those games we kind of became unmotivated. Scoring early helped,” said Toll Gate senior Morgan Caianiello, who finished the day with a career-high four goals to go along with an assist.

After jumping out to the early lead, the Titans knew the opportunity to get their first win was in front of them as long as they kept the momentum.

“At halftime we were thinking, ‘We need to keep this.’ It was crazy, (Middletown) is a hard team, they’re a really good team, they’ve had a great season, so we just had to keep it up. This feels amazing, I was nervous going into today because it is many of our last Senior Nights. It was amazing to win,” said Caianiello.

Kara Yelman and Delanie Wheeler each added three goals for Toll Gate while Alina Jencks scored a pair as well. Lea Fortin added a goal and an assist while Isabelle LaFontaine scored a goal.

The Titans lost in a 11-10 nail biter to rival Pilgrim the previous game. Despite the loss, Toll Gate coach Jim Areson felt that a switch flipped in the second half against the Patriots.

“We played really well in the second half against Pilgrim and it carried over to today. It’s been the passing and catching, the past two games they have been passing and catching and it’s been phenomenal. The team that possesses the ball is usually the team that wins and today we possessed the ball, got into the offensive zone and took good shots. Good things happened today,” said Areson.

Areson was thrilled to see his senior core earn a big win in their final hoorah at home.

“I’m so happy for our seniors. It’s been an interesting season, it has been a grind at some points, but we told them to keep grinding and they did. They have all kept coming to practice every day and that’s a testament to our seniors, our captains,” said Areson. “For what they have done, for having that mentality and never giving in, I am so happy for them.”

The Toll Gate seniors are: Morgan Caianiello, Anna Pickering, Alina Jencks, Sam Quinn, Allison Quinn, Rachael Moretti, Lea Fortin, Kara Yelman, Ciara Hernandez, Victoria Oliveira, Emily Bastien, Coco Collette.

Toll Gate, lacrosse, LAX

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