The Ramapo women's lacrosse team played its final game of the regular season on Saturday against undefeated Skyline rival Farmingdale State. This matchup was not only the Roadrunners' last game on home turf, but also the seniors' last home game of their lacrosse careers.
The game started off with each of the three seniors and captains Brianne Deptuch, JT Kelly and Amanda Ferry having their name and accolades announced over the loud speaker as their parents and family presented them to the audience. They were each given a bouquet of flowers and took pictures with the coaching staff and Athletic Director Chuck Gordon.
"Senior Day is the perfect way to celebrate these ladies' hard work and talent," said head coach Jane Koeniges. "They deserve all the praise in the world."
The players certainly deserved the recognition after pushing through a season of limited bench depth, injuries and hard losses. Koeniges said her seniors had such a big effect on the team because of their "strong determination" and their ability to "bring the whole team together." After the ceremony, the girls lined up and prepared themselves for their final hurrah playing as Ramapo Roadrunners.
The intensity of the game heated up as soon as the whistle blew, and Farmingdale struck quickly, scoring the match's first goal within a minute of play. Rookie Lindsay Hughes answered quickly, scoring two goals of her own to give Ramapo an early 2-1 lead. The score stayed close when the Rams netted another shot, which Ramapo answered minutes later with a goal by Ferry.
Hughes scored goal number three to give Ramapo a two-point lead, but the Roadrunners couldn't hold it for long. The Rams offense was out to prove why they were ranked No. 1 in the Skyline, and a two-goal deficit was nothing they couldn't handle. They scored six straight goals, holding back any attack by Ramapo until Hughes scored one goal with five minutes left of play and another with 30 seconds left. However, the Rams wouldn't be outdone, adding another two to their own score to end the first half with a score of 10-6, outshooting the Roadrunners 31-12.
The end of the first half was only a small taste of what was to come in the next 30 minutes. Farmingdale came out strong, netting three goals in a row. Ramapo stayed scrappy, with the attack taking any chance they could to close the gap. Ferry scored her second goal of the game four minutes in, but the Rams struck back again with three straight goals, the score now climbing to 16-7.
Ramapo had one final offensive run of the game with Ferry's third goal 10 minutes in, but after that Farmingdale's attack took total control. The Rams closed out the game with four more goals, winning their 10th Skyline game of the season by a final score of 21-8.
Even after such a tough defeat, Koeniges refused to let the loss put a damper on the team's spirits.
"Win or lose, today was all about the seniors," said Koeniges. "Those three play their best every game, and today was no different. I'm happy for them."
kshea1@ramapo.edu
