Summit Girls Lax Falls in Tournament of Champions

For a moment there it looked like the seesaw of a game that was the first round of the girls lacrosse Tournament of Champions at Monmouth University might fall on the side of Summit.

The Hilltoppers, state Group II champions, traded goals with Group IV winner Shawnee for much of the second half, catching up time after time only to see their opponent take the lead again.

With just 2:24 remaining on the clock in the second period, Summit scored their second consecutive goal to take a 12-11 lead, their first since squandering an 5-2 advantage early in the first half. But, as was demonstrated throughout the game, no lead was safe.

Shawnee tied the game late in the second half and went on to defeat Summit 13-12 after two overtime periods.

"It's two teams that fought hard," Summit coach Mike Walsh said following the game. "It's high school girls lacrosse. Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't."

An emotional Walsh praised the efforts of his squad, the first in Summit's history to take home a state title. Despite falling in a back-and-forth Tournament of Champions match up to Shawnee, the commitment and leadership on display Wednesday is exactly what carried the Hilltoppers to an 18-5 record on the season.

Summit was lead offensively by Stuart Humphrey and Sara Szynal, who each scored four goals. Maddie Gramigna contributed with two and Steph Ford and Meaghan Celner each notched one score for Summit.

Walsh had high praise for Humphrey, a three-sport athlete and Summit senior.

"She's the heart and soul of our program," he said. "She's been a role model for the entire team."

Summit advanced to the Tournament of Champions after beating Allentown 16-11 in the Group II finals and earning its first NJSIAA title. The Tournament of Champions pits all public and non-public winners against each other to determine the best champion.