Being called a coffee bean doesn’t seem too flattering for a high school girl. Or anybody, for that matter.
But in the outside-the-box world that is Robbinsville High girls lacrosse, it’s quite the compliment, and Morgan Gonser is happy to be dubbed a coffee bean in the water. Even if she wasn’t quite sure what it meant at first.
“I was definitely not faithful to that, I was like ‘What is she saying?’” Gonser recalled with a laugh.
The notion, of course, comes from Ravens coach Jennamarie Colicchia—who wears a “Be a coffee bean” bracelet at practice. Always willing to send new and varied inspirational messages to her players, Colicchia was impressed by the public speaking of a former football player who overcame several years of adversity.
“He was told during a tough time that he could be an egg going in the water and become hard to the world,” the coach explained. “Or he could be a carrot going in the water that would be soft and crumble. Or he could be a coffee bean that would cause ripples in the water and change its surroundings.
“I always use that as a symbol to the girls of how you can change your environment. Have a ripple effect anywhere you go. Morgan is the epitome of someone who does that. If she’s having a good day, everyone’s having a good day. When she’s absent, everyone feels she’s not there.”
It’s easy to see why, as the sharp witted senior midfielder has an infectious personality that can transfer to whoever she talks with. When it comes to being on the field, last year she collected 62 draw controls, 30 goals and 40 assists. That caused 40 ripples that flowed into goals for others.
Which makes her a proud coffee bean.
“As she explained it more, I just realized that it’s true,” Gonser said. “It’s what you take out of things and what you put into it for the outcome. So it’s really whatever you’re gonna do is what you’re gonna get back.”
It took a while for Gonser to grasp the notion. As a freshman, Colicchia noted she lacked some discipline “and was a little goofy.”
“Now,” the coach continued, “she’s used that as almost a super power, where she knows when to goof around and have fun and also knows when to turn it on and be serious. I think that makes the kids want to be like her. It’s one thing to come out here and work hard and be miserable working hard, it’s another thing to come out and want to be here. She’s shown a lot of that over the years.
“I think she bought into the program and what we stand for and now she’s a big part of what makes our culture tick.”
Gonser confessed that her ninth-grade year caused some growing pains that led to her behavior. Despite a lifetime of lacrosse experience, insecurity got the best of her on a varsity squad with 12 seniors. She wondered where she fit in, but “tried to squeeze my way in, doing what I know best and making connections on and off the field.”
Her statistics belied her doubts, as Gonser had 20 goals, four assists and won 11 draw controls as a freshman, and followed with 37 goals, 13 assists and draw controls.
But still. . .
“I was less disciplined freshman year; and sophomore year I was very insecure, I was having a rough year so it was hard for me to put it all out there on the field and it wasn’t enough,” Gonser said. “But last year I was able to be a leader and also know what I’m good at.”
Scoring 40 goals was impressive considering seniors Cora Butler and Kendall Franke combined for 121. There weren’t many more goals to go around. But what revealed Gonser’s growth so vividly was the 30 assists.
“She just understood she had talented girls who could score,” Colicchia said. “She had an eye for reading the cutters and being in the right place at the right time. I always told her she has the ability to change the whole game when she’s on, and we got to see a lot of that last year.
“She also received a lot of feeds in the 8-meter (to score goals). She was more of a threat in a lot of ways last year than in the past. That comes with experience and to take what we do in practice into games. She’s always been a smart and calculated player. A lot of it comes naturally to her.”
Gonser’s junior year was a product of her maturation process. She understood Robbinsville would thrive if Butler and Franke got the ball, so she gave it to them. Her ability to facilitate helped Robbinsville to a 15-6 record and the most wins in program history.
“I always liked feeding,” Gonser said. “Previously we had more drivers. Last year we were getting more creative with our offense so I felt like it was easier to find opportunities thanks to my vision at midfield.”
That vision has been honed by years of playing. She signed up in kindergarten and was encouraged by cousin Alyssa Leale, who was a senior teammate in Gonser’s freshman year. Her dad coached her through elementary and middle school, with Morgan saying “He didn’t play but he thought it would be fun to start helping me.”
Gonser spent five years in club lacrosse and played two years of soccer followed by two years of field hockey at RHS. She also ran winter track.
When things get sticky, she harkens back to those formative years.
“Every time I’m having a tough time out there, I think about when I was little and how much fun I used to have,” she said. “I bring those memories out here and it helps.”
As a midfielder, Gonser is constantly running from offense to defense and Colicchia praises her scoring by saying “It’s hard to score a lot of goals when you’re playing the entire field and she was a threat at both ends.”
One of the things that helps Gonser is her awareness. She sees the entire field and has good instincts about when and where a pass should go.
“I’ve always had a pretty good vision of the field from watching other people,” Gonser said. “I’m a visual learner so seeing what people are doing at their position and seeing their success, I try to use that in my own play. I see what works for other people and see what I can make out of that. I was able to see what Cora and Kendall can do and now I’m gonna try and do some of the same stuff.”
With the two dynamic scorers gone there will be a need for others to step up. Gonser has shown she can score, but Colicchia would be happy if she played the same role as last season.
“I don’t think she necessarily needs to score more goals,” the coach said. “If she stays consistent we’ve got a lot of kids who are also stepping up. By her doing what she’s been doing, maybe she’ll have some more, maybe she won’t. But with other kids contributing I think it will even out.”
Colicchia is also hoping Gonser continues to gain possession for the Ravens.
“She’s great for us on the draw, very scrappy,” she said. “In big games where it’s 50-50 draws, you can count on her to come up big in the draw circle. In past years we downplayed the importance of that with her and after last year we realized it’s one of the main things we need and she’s been very consistent there.”
Gonser’s quickness and strong shot aids the offense, along with her feel for the game.
“She knows what we need on the attack,” Colicchia said. “She’s good at picking out what the other team is doing and she analyzes it a lot, like a little coach out there.”
Her lacrosse smarts should come as no surprise since Gonser sports a 3.8 grade point average. She is a member of the RHS Agricultural Club—and no, they don’t grow coffee beans—and was formerly in the Ski Club and Red Cross Club.
As for the future, Gonser wants to major in hospitality at either Penn State or Indiana universities.
“I’ve always been a people person,” she said. “I like organization, setting up stuff, being creative.”
Those abilities suit her well as a playmaker.
“I’m always making connections,” she said. “I’m trying to make the assist or get the ground ball to set someone else up, or sliding on defense. Anything I can do to help someone else out I’ll try to do so that other people feel good and they can do the same.”
Sounds a lot like the ripple effect a coffee bean in the water can create.
