One of the best things Lawrence High girls’ lacrosse coach Heather Thompson likes to say about Stephanie Adamcik and Sabrina Pascarella this year is that she gets to have them next year.
The junior midfield duo led the Cardinals in goals this season, with Pascarella scoring 31 and Adamcik chipping in with 22. The Cards finished 5-9, with a four-game winning streak followed by a season-ending five-game losing streak, but Thompson likes what the future holds.
“I’m really proud of them this year,” Thompson said. “And I’m really excited they’re only juniors. I’m very excited to have them another year.”
With good reason, as the two have progressed nicely since beginning the sport in ninth grade. Pascarella had eight goals her freshman year and stepped it up to 26 last season. Adamcik went from two goals as a freshman to 11 last year.
Part of their success has been their chemistry.
“We’ve actually known each other for a really long time,” Adamcik said. “When we were seven we played soccer together. We’re close friends, we’ve been friends for a while.
“We both made varsity in lacrosse freshman year. We’ve grown together and stuff, so we know how each other works. We are just able to play off each other. We have similar athletic skills so it works.”
Pascarella feels their friendship helps with their abilities in lacrosse.
“It creates a bond that can’t be broken,” she said. “Especially on the field it helps a lot. We knew we have each other’s backs on and off the field, so it’s good.
“We’ve been playing soccer since we could both start walking. When we started playing lacrosse it kind of clicked.”
As it turns out, neither one had to convince the other to play.
“It was just like, one day we said ‘OK, let’s try it,’” Pascarella said.
Adamcik said one of the reasons she decided was because of an aversion to track & field. Another was that they wouldn’t look bad when they went out for the team, as most everyone was in the same situation.
“We were looking to do something in the spring, and I’d done winter track my freshman year and that wasn’t for me,” she said. “A bunch of people were going out for lacrosse and they were saying nobody knew how to play. So we decided to go out and it ended up being a really good experience for me.”
Pascarella recalled those early tryouts as being “pretty hard, and really hot out.”
But the girls stuck with it and began to find their niche.
“They have great chemistry and they’re two of my top players,” Thompson said. “[Adamcik] and Sabrina are our sparks. They’re leaders by example. Every game it’s those two and it’s amazing.
“They both have very bubbly personalities and are very outgoing. It’s great to be around. But I wouldn’t say they’re exactly the same, though.”
The coach noted Adamcik wreaks havoc throughout the field, while Pascarella picks her spots
“Steph is definitely all over the place,” Thompson said. “She’s end line to end line. Any play you look at she’s in it.
“I really rely on her just to be everywhere. On some plays she will get it on defense at one point and we got a goal. It’s just her taking it down the field. It’s awesome.”
Pascarella tends to stay at home a little more frequently, waiting for the precise moment to make a move.
“Sabrina’s not all over the place,” Thompson said. “She’s our center and she just knows where to be at the right time and she’s not afraid to go hard to goal and I think the girls follow her lead. If she’s going hard to goal and they see it’s working for her, then some of our other players start to step up.”
Adamcik had four hat tricks this year and scored four goals in a game twice. Pascarella had 11 multi-goal games, including one with five, two with four and one with three. Usually they are helping each other out.
“We just work well,” Adamcik said. “We’ve known each other so long. We haven’t been doing lacrosse for the longest time so we haven’t been doing the throwing skills, but when we have the ball we know we can both run it to the goal. If one of us is open we see that opportunity and work together and make it happen.”
Pascarella agreed, saying, “I think it’s our speed. We can kind of take the ball from one side of the field and just sprint to the other side and get it in.
“I’m really happy with how we’ve progressed. I’m excited for next year.”
She’s not the only one.
Juniors Sabrina Pascarella and Stephanie Adamcik have led the Cardinals girls’ lacrosse team this season. (Photos by Albert Rende.),
