Girls lacrosse: Benjamin's Rachel Haueisen hits huge milestone while leading Bucs to win
JUPITER — Benjamin lacrosse star goalie Rachel Haueisen reached an impressive landmark in Thursday night’s victory over Jupiter.
Early in the second quarter, Haueisen faced a close-range shot in the crease, making a challenging save to preserve her team’s lead.
It was the 400th save of her high school career.
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Not many high school goaltenders get to claim that many saves in their four-year careers, and Haueisen has already accomplished it midway through her junior season.
And on Thursday night, Benjamin largely eked out the 8-7 win on the back of yet another dominant performance by the junior keeper.
With Benjamin down two players for the majority of the fourth quarter, Jupiter scored three straight goals, tying the game at 5-5 as they dominated draw control, and as a result, much of the possession.
“We wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without her today,” Benjamin head coach Quinn Roe said. “Our defense has a lot of confidence in her leadership. She’s always super positive and has everybody’s back and really comes in clutch when we need her most.”
As Jupiter (6-3) continued to mount a comeback with the man-advantage, Haueisen stood strong in the face of equally mounting pressure, at one point saving two close-range shots in close succession to stave off a late surge inside three minutes of regulation.
“Being a goalie is a lot about the pressure and being able to mentally take it,” Haueisen said. “So knowing that you have to help out your defense even more, the feeling of saving it is just better than anything. It makes you want it even more.”
As for reaching the 400-save milestone, Haueisen didn’t even know for certain how close she was to the mark until her father, who keeps a log of her personal stats, told her.
When she came close but didn’t quite eclipse the big 4-0-0 during Benjamin’s (10-1) home game against St. John Paul II, everyone figured the impressive checkpoint would come in Thursday’s contest.
They were prepared and Haueisen did not disappoint.
Her sister was one of several family members in attendance, raising a colorful poster that read: “400 saves . . . . Let’s go, Rachel!”
Fans — and not just those from Benjamin — recognized the accomplishment with a round of applause. Even Jupiter’s players congratulated her after the game, with the Jupiter announcer also giving a nod to the accomplishment with an announcement.
“The goal was to hit it yesterday at a home game," Haueisen said, "but hitting it away is an even better feeling on somebody else’s field,”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Girls lacrosse: Benjamin's Rachel Haueisen hits milestone during win
