Lenape senior Gianna Monaco puts a capper on spectacular career in loss to Morristown
WASHINGTON, Warren Co. —The goals. The plays. The stats. They don’t measure up.
The moments. The relationships. The memories. They define Gianna Monaco far better.
The University of Florida-bound Lenape senior concluded a career Saturday, where she was one of New Jersey’s most dynamic lacrosse players. And so much more.
“I definitely gave everything that I could,” Monaco said. “I worked super hard in the offseason to try and get myself as best shape as I could. I wanted to make sure the second that I stepped out on that lacrosse field again, that there would be no slowing me down.”
And there wasn’t.
Despite hip surgery in late summer to repair an injury she suffered at the tail end of last spring at the cost of her senior field hockey season, Monaco scored 130 goals this season, passing both the 200- and 300-goal milestones in a career cut short to three years by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The numbers were but a footnote.
“What people don't know is that we will never give up,” Monaco said. “We will always play together. We are one big happy family. There is nothing that can stop us or get in our way. We're all for one, one for all.”
The road came to an end for Monaco and her Lenape teammates with a 16-12 loss to Morristown in the NJSIAA Group 4 championship game. Lenape fell behind by six goals at the outset only to knot the game at 9-all four minutes into the second half. The Colonials eventually responded and took home the title, but not without a fight.
During the comeback, Monaco did as she did through her entire career. She took over when necessary, while allowing her teammates to be their best selves.
“We just had to have confidence,” Monaco said. We knew that we just needed to work as hard as we could. There was no giving out. We put our heart into this game because it was the last one we were going to have.”
Weathering the storm
Morristown saw its 7-1 first-half advantage completely disappear yet never betrayed a moment of panic. The Colonials absorbed the formidable offensive onslaught then reeled of four straight goals to take control of the game for good.
"Our energy started going down and we had to take a timeout,” Morristown sophomore Megan O’Brien said. “We had to make some adjustments throughout the entire game. We really adjusted to them and showed that we could come back together again. We were able to pull through with a very good win for our first ever state title. This is just so exciting. It doesn't feel like it's true. We just worked so hard for it.”
Inside the numbers
Monaco finished her career with 312 goals in three seasons, including 130 this spring. O’Brien had four goals and three assists. Lenape junior twins Emma and Lily Bunting posted hat tricks. Emma Bunting added three assists to raise her season totals to 159 points on 77 goals and 82 assists.
Family affair
While Monaco and the Bunting sisters garnered the lion’s share of attention all season, Lenape was very much a total team. Senior Kareen Gohel had a pair of goals. She was as good a representation of her teammates as anyone.
“It's been quite the experience,” Gohel said. “I was never quite into lacrosse that much until a few years ago. Being part of this team has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life so far. Every one of us is a family. I couldn't be more proud of this team and how far we've come.”
The bond this team shared turned a spring activity for Gohel into an integral part of her life, beyong high school.
“I'm going to Indiana University,” Gohel said. “I'm hoping to play club there. Lacrosse wasn't really something I was looking forward to at college but now I'm really looking forward to playing club there.
“This literally became my second family. I can talk to any one of these girls and it just put a smile on my face in any kind of situation.”
Tom Rimback, sports reporter
Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but he’s happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes for the Burlington County Times, the Courier Post and The Daily Journal. Follow him on twitter @RimbackBCT. Email him with story ideas at trimback@thebct.com and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription.
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This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Lenape senior Gianna Monaco ends lacrosse career in Morristown loss
