Girls lacrosse: Pawling tops Arlington in Friends of Jaclyn cancer fundraiser game
As Lexi Knowles made her way through a cluster of teammates, smiling and congratulating each other, the goalkeeper's attention was drawn toward the stands.
"Hey," shouted the parent of an opposing player, "you're going down next time!"
Knowles rolled her eyes and the two burst into laughter. That moment encapsulated the afternoon at Arlington High School, which hosted fundraisers for cancer-related charities and celebrated those who've been afflicted with the disease.
The parent was Andrea Berardo, a cancer survivor who was animated and cheerful throughout the game. Knowles and her daughter, Talia Berardo, are longtime travel lacrosse teammates and their families are close. So this contest was, in some ways, a "friendly" with the focus of a greater cause.
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But it was Knowles who got the better of the matchup as her Pawling girls lacrosse team earned a "confidence-boosting" 15-8 win over Arlington on Saturday.
"We've had to work hard because we have lost some talented girls the last few years," Knowles said, "but we're definitely improving and I'm proud of us."
The Tigers have endured a rebuilding phase in recent years, but significant progress has been shown this spring. That is, in part, thanks to the emergence of young standouts.
Seventh-grader Sadie Manger scored a career-high seven goals and dished four assists to spark a redesigned offense that was explosive and operated well in transition. The attacker is flourishing down the stretch and Pawling seemingly has turned a corner.
"We reworked our offense and changed the schematics, and it's put us in a good position," Tigers coach Rob Walters said. "We started with some tough games, which helped in our growth, and we've been doing well."
Kelsey Wahl added three goals and four assists, eighth-grader Emily Nevermann scored twice, and Knowles made 11 saves for Pawling (8-6). Alexia Mitchell, Sarah Knowles and Avery Crandell each had a goal.
Jessica Bianco and Talia Berardo each scored twice for the Admirals. Aileen Keevins, Seneca Devendorf, Jess Owens and Grace McGann had a goal apiece. Ella Bergin had three groundballs and two caused turnovers, and Simone Gillette made 11 saves.
Arlington's athletic teams held their annual Strike Out Cancer and Friends of Jaclyn events Saturday, which created a fair-like atmosphere, and there was excitement as the lacrosse game served as the nightcap.
Pawling was undaunted, though, scoring three quick goals in the opening two minutes and taking control from the outset. As the small-school Tigers ready for the Section 1 playoffs, a decisive victory over a Class A team was significant.
"We worked well together and it's one of those (performances) you feel good about," Lexi Knowles said. "I have a lot of friends on Arlington, and I love playing against them, but we definitely enjoyed this win."
‘That’s a success’
Talia Berardo draws immediate inspiration from her role model, whenever she reflects on how valiantly her mother battled cancer, and how appreciative their family is to still have her.
Andrea Berardo has been in remission for almost six years and has remained an advocate for other patients and cancer-related causes.
But, Talia also is reminded often about how many others are far less fortunate. The senior said two of her uncles succumbed to the disease in the last year.
“It hits close to home because everyone is connected in some way to someone who has had cancer,” Gillette said.
Two athletes within their Arlington community, Devon Williams Jr. and Niko Vanzillotta, died of cancer as teenagers last year.
Those experiences, the players said, provided an easy impetus in wanting to contribute in the fight against the disease. Doing something lacrosse-related to benefit the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was a no-brainer.
Arlington hosted on Saturday its annual "FOJ Day," an event that included a youth lacrosse clinic and games serving as the showcase entertainment. Fundraising was done through donations, a raffle and concession sales.
FOJ is a nonprofit that partners athletic teams with kids battling childhood cancers. They have paired about 1,000 families across the country with high schools and colleges that offer emotional support and help fundraise.
John Jay-East Fishkill, Our Lady of Lourdes and Marist College are among several area schools who have participated. Arlington, more than a decade ago, “adopted” Lagrangeville native Angelo Mastandrea, then a toddler who was battling a brain tumor. That baby now is 13 years old.
"My mom had a benign brain tumor last summer and it took a toll all of us, so I can imagine how difficult it is for the individual and their family having to deal with cancer," Ella Bergin said of her mother, Amy Bergin, who is doing well now. "Causes like this are tremendously important."
The charity was inspired by Jaclyn Murphy, who was aided by the Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team after she was diagnosed at age 9 with a brain tumor.
Murphy survived and went on to graduate Arlington and Marist, then became a junior varsity lacrosse coach at her former high school. She is closely connected to several of the players in the program now and her father, Denis Murphy, attended the game Saturday.
"It would've been great to get a win, but the more important thing was giving back to the kids and raising money for FOJ," Gillette said. "The big turnout shows how many people care, and that's a success."
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Girls lacrosse: Manger, Wahl lead Pawling over Arlington in FOJ game
