A once-in-a-generation player helped produce a once-in-a-generation field hockey team at Lawrence High School this year.
The amazing Talia Schenck put up numbers that may never be broken in Mercer County and, in the process, led the Cardinals to a 19-4 record, the Mercer County Tournament championship and a berth in the NJSIAA Group 3 North semifinals.
It was the first outright MCT title for Lawrence, which shared the crown with Hopewell in 1983. The 19 wins were the most this century, although coach Megan Errico is unsure if it is a school record. If not, it’s gotta be darn close.
“I think this season will go down in history for the program,” junior midfielder Emily Quattrochi said. “It all came together and it was magical. The team had a great bond and we all had so much fun playing together as a team.”
For Schenck, the county title was a nice complement to her own accomplishments.
“Winning the MCT title was the perfect way to cap off my four years and it means so much to me,” the Princeton University-bound senior said. “I am obviously very proud of my individual achievements but being able to achieve something as a team and be a part of something bigger than myself is the most rewarding experience.
“I feel like something would have been missing from this experience for myself not winning a title in my four years, but also for the team. With the exponential growth and success this team has had in the past few years it is only fitting we come out with a championship.”
Despite missing most of her sophomore year due to injury, Schenck broke every county scoring record imaginable and also graduates among the all-time state and national leaders.
She is only the fourth player in the nation to score 200 career goals, and her 244 ranks her fourth nationally. She became the first player in N.J. to ever score 100 goals this year, and her total of 113 is second in the nation to Eastern’s Riley Heck. Schneck’s 3.54 career goals per game is highest in the nation among scoring leaders, and her 4.91 per game is highest nationally this season.
But her value goes beyond numbers. While some players may get bitter or frustrated about constantly giving the ball up to the same player, Errico felt it was just the opposite with her team.
“They really found a way to play together,” she said. “I think if there is any frustration, it’s if they feel they don’t play well enough for her because they have a ton of respect for her.
“She’s gonna leave her legacy and hopefully this program will forever be changed because of her. Those kids play better because of her, because they want to, and because she makes them better.”
Quattrochi, who joined Schenck as a first-team pick on the Central Jersey Coaches All-Star team, assured that she is a better player due to her teammate.
“I look up to Talia‘s playing a lot and she has helped me and the team grow as field hockey players tremendously,” Quattrochi said. “I have played with her since middle school and she pushed me to be a better field hockey player. Her control of the ball and knowledge of the game is incredible.”
For Schenck, hearing those words means more than scoring 1,000 goals in one season.
“Being able to help others grow and love the game like I do is the most rewarding thing,” she said. “Lots of the unforgettable moments from this season came from the impact I was able to make on the people around me rather than my individual accomplishments.
“My favorite memory from this season was the crowd at MCT finals and the reactions the team received. Seeing the whole Lawrence community be excited about field hockey and support and celebrate us was incredibly touching and something I will never forget.”
And while Schenck was the centerpiece, no player wins a championship alone.
Errico lauded the play of midfielder Macey Vice and defenders Julia Krimmel and Miduna Rishidran, who served as senior captains.
“They were a fun group of girls to be around,” the coach said. “We spent a lot of time together, it was really nice to have them all in charge.”
Senior Olivia Drake was “an incredible goalie” and split time with junior Abby Duncan, who made an eye-popping 25 saves in the sectional semifinal loss to eventual Group 3 champion North Hunterdon.
The coach also pointed to several girls who were unknown quantities entering the season, but stepped up to make an impact. They included junior midfielders Riley Burns and Quattrocchi.
“Riley Burns was probably the most improved player on the team,” Errico said. “And we got really lucky with Emma. She’s a solid athlete. She is the support of Talia. She has a strong hit like Talia, but just doesn’t have the finesse that she does. She’s a stud athlete.”
Sophomore Alex Murphy “is really working to become a stellar player” and scored nine goals, while freshman Caroline Rotteveel began the season as a defender before moving to forward. She finished second on the team with 11 goals and six assists, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Princeton Day School in the MCT championship game. The pass came from Schenck.
It became the symbolic “passing of the torch” from the senior who helped make the program good to the freshman who hopes to keep it there.
“Everyone thought Talia was gonna rip the shot,” Errico said. “But she saw Caroline open and Caroline pulled it around the goalie.”
The Cardinals also got stellar defense from Rishindran and Petra Doherty, rounding out an outstanding team.
Lawrence’s four losses this year came to teams with a combined record of 66-16. One of those defeats came to PDS in a 4-3 regular-season setback, but the Cards got revenge when it counted most.
“Beating PDS just shows how resilient they are and how they could rise from that occasion of losing,” Errico said. “We always knew it was in our reach. The first game was down to the wire and come tournament time both of us were different teams.”
En route to its rematch with the Panthers, the fourth-seeded Cardinals took a convincing 4-1 victory over top-seeded Lawrenceville, which had made the MCT it’s own private playground. LHS scored four second-half goals to claim the victory, which paid off against PDS when the they scored four goals in the final 30 minutes to erase a 3-1 halftime deficit.
For Quattrocchi, it was a moment she will never forget.
“The MCT title was a huge accomplishment for the team,” she said. “We all worked so hard for it throughout the season and seasons prior. We were so excited and it brought a lot more recognition to field hockey in Lawrence.”
It was the highlight of a season that began with uncertainty. Despite the fact Lawrence finished 11-1 last year—with its lone loss coming to Voorhees in the NJSIAA Central West A title game—no one was quite sure what to expect.
Coming out of COVID, I wasn’t thinking anything,” Errico said. “I was wondering if we were gonna get shut down. But, I don’t know, things just kept going well.”
“I was definitely nervous considering the amount of starters we had lost, but it was encouraging to see girls putting in more work in the offseason and the number of freshmen that came in,” Schenck said. “The atmosphere was great during preseason and I was confident with our hard work that the kinks would work themselves out and we’d have a great season.”
Schenck added that her teammates’ support is what made her career so enjoyable, and felt this year’s team dynamic was key to the success.
“I will miss getting to go to practice with them every day,” she said.
Rest assured, they will miss having her there. The question now will be, is there life after Talia?
Survey says. . . yes!
“The program has grown throughout the past few years,” Quattrochi said. “There is definitely enough talent to have successful seasons in the future.”
Errico feels this year’s success has been building for a while, and that the Cardinals are not just a two-year wonder.
“When the class of 2018 were juniors, they started changing things,” the coach said. “Prior to that we were not good. It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do next year. But it’s gonna be a lot of work. When you have someone like Talia you kind of build around them.
“Everyone thinks we can’t score without her. We have the ability to score, we just don’t always use everybody to score because she does it so effortlessly. I’m excited. I don’t think we’re gonna get pushed aside.”
If anyone tries, Lawrence has become a program that has learned to push back.
The Lawrence High School field hockey team celebrates winning the 2021 Mercer County championship,
