MIDDLETOWN – It had been 10 years since the last Shore Conference girls lacrosse senior all-star game, and when the Shore Girls Lacrosse Coaches Association was formed this year a major focus was to bring back a year-end game featuring the top seniors in the Shore.

On Monday night at Middletown South, the SGLCA’s vision played out during the 2018 Shore Conference Senior All-Star Game, presented by MadDog Lacrosse. Shore Regional’s Mary Kate George scored four goals to be selected as the game MVP as the North All-Stars surged past the South in the second half to claim a 20-16 victory.

“It was definitely exciting because I got to play with teammates I never thought I’d be on the field with again; girls I played with on travel when I was younger and are still some of my best friends who I train with all the time,” George said. “It was really fun to get on the actual field with them again.”

George, who is headed to Ohio State, scored three times in the first half and added another goal in the second half as the North rallied from an 11-10 halftime deficit by going on a 10-2 run during the second half. Jackson Liberty’s Maeve Carney added three goals and Rumson-Fair Haven’s Gillian Curran, Freehold Township’s Michelle Pascrell and Howell’s Jenna Cholowinski each scored twice. Manchester’s Samantha Batiato, Neptune’s Allie Kerwin and St. John Vianney’s Gina Fatovic combined to make 15 saves.

Manasquan’s Bella Feldmann led the South All-Stars with four goals while teammate Harley Pilling scored twice. Marlboro’s Rachel Huang, Jackson Memorial’s Sabrina Chandler and Toms River South’s Emily Donzanti also scored two goals apiece. Ocean’s Shannon Ross, Donovan Catholic’s Caroline Schwester and Marlboro’s Samantha Meiskin combined to make 14 saves.

For Feldmann and Pilling, Monday’s all-star game was a fitting way to cap a memorable senior season. Manasquan advanced to its first Shore Conference Tournament final since 2012 and also reached the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game.

“It was really fun and awesome to play with Harley one last time before we go off to college and play against each other in the CAA,” Feldmann said. “It was really cool to play with girls we usually don’t get to play with.”

Manasquan fell to juggernaut Rumson in both the SCT and sectional championship games, but in each semifinal, the Warriors were able to come away with victories over Red Bank Catholic. The second postseason meeting in the sectional semifinals saw the Warriors score three goals late in regulation to tie the score before winning in overtime.

“The RBC game was like winning (a championship) for us,” Pilling said. “We play Rumson every year and they’re just so good. I think it’s a win if you even get to play them. In the SCT it was 6-6 at halftime and that’s a win for us.”

“The RBC games, both of them I’d say were the best games of our high school careers,” Feldmann said.

Teammates since their youth days, Feldmann and Pilling will be collegiate rivals in the Colonial Athletic Association. Feldmann will continue her career at Elon University in North Carolina and Pilling will play at the University of Delaware.

“We’re going to be playing against each other in college so this was our last time as teammates,” Pilling said. “Next time we play we’ll be rivals.”

In addition to George winning the MVP award, the SGLCA also handed out a senior scholarship based on an essay about what lacrosse had meant to the player. The winners were Freehold Township’s Cai Martin and Toms River South’s Brooke Adams.

For the coaches who worked to bring back the all-star game, Monday’s event delivered exactly what they were looking for.

“A lot of hard work went into it but it was something we had talked about as a coaches association,” said Red Bank Catholic head coach Troy Madison, who is the president of the SGLCA. “The last time we did this was 2008 or 2009 so it has been a long time and unfortunately the girls in that span didn’t get to experience it.”

“We wanted to bring the game back and honor these kids for four years of hard work. There’s a lot of good talent and I think you could see that tonight. It was a good way to get started again and we’re going to continue to do it year after year. It’s only going to get better as we go forward.”

 

Managing editor Bob Badders can be reached at bob.badders@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Bob_Badders. Like Shore Sports Network on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest video highlights.

 

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