What a way to start a season: In its first 14 games the High School North field hockey team came as close to perfection as one could imagine in sports: Lady Knights’ goalie Melanie Zapantis allowed only two goals to slip into the net. “Not to take anything away from Melanie,” smiled one avid fan, “but in most games, the team just didn’t let their opponents get many close shots at her.”
While the season’s ending was bittersweet, the experience of the regular season will remain the lasting memory for North. It was a season where all the players jelled into one swift, coordinated unit. “I felt as if I could just close my eyes and know exactly where Megan Pisani and the rest of my forwards are,” says center midfield Ann Dysart, senior and team-co-captain. Much of this she credits to the team being all good friends off field and most of them having played together for two years. In addition the team attends off-season summer training camps at Rider and Rutgers.
But whatever the reasons, the Lady Knights have pressed opponents hard with four exceptional scorers. Co-captain, senior Christine Franz and Pisani, a junior, lead the team in points, followed closely by Dysart and senior Holland Thomas. “Scoring numbers don’t mean much for us,” Franz says. “We get the scores because we all work together.” Numbers, however, remain very much on the mind of Coach Shannon Maruca. “This depth of attack gives us a chance to keep the other team off balance,” she says.
Thus, all this ability and high expectations made the Knights’ recent unfortunate stumble even more heartbreaking.
It was a bitter, windy Tuesday, October 24, when North hosted Hightstown in the Mercer County playoffs. Parents and fans huddled shivering in the stands, while the players tried desperately to warm up and keep muscles from cramping. No one expected a romp. The Knights had only edged Hightstown, 1-0, in their regular season game. But the everyone seemed to be giving the odds to the home team.
From the outset the play was hard, bunched, and filled with errors on both sides. Penalties were constant. The Knights fell into their usual system. Backfield players, seniors Avani Donthireddy and Danielle Sleeper kept pushing the ball to mid field. Center Dysart and wings Thomas and Meghan Hunter, took the passes and fed them quickly and often to Pisani and Franz. Shots were made aplenty, but Hightstown sticks seemed always to be there for the block.
Juniors Alexa Carvalho and Meghan Hunter both worked aggressively. Franz got off two close shots at the outset of the second half. In the last four minutes of the final quarter, Pisani fired an agonizingly close shot, just missing the corner.
Then, with only 90 seconds on the clock, Hightstown swept in a goal. Quickly, the Lady Knights lined up, desperate for the tie that would mean overtime in the county playoffs. They pushed frustratingly hard until the referee called game’s end. Instantly Coach Maruca ran out onto the field. The referee had erred, denying North the final eight seconds of its chance. So again the teams lined up and all gave it their all for eight futile seconds. At the end, Hightstown prevailed, 1-0.
“You girls just didn’t bring your best game out here on the field today,” Maruca told her tearful team. After all the players had shaken hands, chilled backfielder Donthireddy, speaking through a split lip, said succinctly, “normally we back each other up better. Today that didn’t happen.”
That stumble did not daunt the Lady Knights as they headed into the state finals. Their strong season record had earned them the number two seed, and they drew a bye on their first game will allow for ample rest and reflection before the first finals game on October 30.
North rebounded in that game, defeating Ridge, 2-0, with goals from Hunter and Franz and six saves registered by Zapantis.
But then the Lady Knights ran into Voorhees, another team with 15 victories. This time the North defense played another stellar game, but the Voorhees defense played slightly better. With 3:17 left, a shot that bounced harmlessly off the pads of goalie Zapantis was tapped back in by another attacker. Final score: Another 1-0 heartbreaker to end the season.
But this was still a season to remember. All the team expressed praise for the knowledge and encouragement provided by Coach Maruca. “She, as much as anyone, was responsible for our 14-0 season,” says Dysart. “She always seemed to know the right thing to say just when we needed it.” Adds Franz: “I love the coach. She always finds something positive to bring out and even with our faults she explains them easily and tells us how to correct them.”
Maruca herself feels that the team has gained a lasting confidence. “I’m so proud of these girls,” she says. “When I see them connect on the field, I feel there is nothing they cannot do.”
