Lacrosse Lady Panthers off to sizzling start
The cautious optimism voiced by OTHS girls lacrosse coach Rob Garrison in the preseason might have been understated given his team’s performance in their first week of play. After early weather cancellations postponed the official start of their 2017 campaign, the Lady Panthers roared out of the gate during the past week, winning their first five games — most of them coming in their annual jaunt to the Kansas City, Missouri area to compete in tournament action.
Their perfect 5-0 start began with a dominating 12-2 victory over Pattonville, Missouri a formidable opponent that finished last spring with a 13-4 record. The Lady Panthers out-gunned their Missouri opponents, featuring an aggressive and multifaceted offensive attack. Taylor Grout led the charge with four goals. Georgie Gaab and Jenn Greene pitched in with three goals each. Midfielder Lizzy Bellina added a pair of goals, providing more than enough offensive punch to ensure a victory in their season-opener.
Continuing to flex their muscles, the Lady Panthers made it two in a row, crushing Notre Dame De Scion 14-5. Bellina blasted five shots past the Notre Dame goalkeeper to lead all scorers. Three goals by Gaab and two more by Abby Weidner aided the OTHS romp.
“This was a pretty dominating game for us,” said Garrison. “All of our attackers meshed with each other, allowing us to put constant pressure on the Notre Dame defense. Gaab had an exceptional game with two assists and seven draw controls to go with her three goals. Lizzy Bellina was a scoring machine for us. Overall, our entire team played exceptionally well.”
After rolling past Notre Dame, the Lady Panthers scored their second victory of the day last Friday with a 12-6 triumph over Lee’s Summit (Missouri) North.
“The Lee’s Summit game was a tough one for us,” explained Garrison. “They were very talented and extremely quick, which challenged our girls. The contest was also very physical, but our girls persevered and were able to overcome the rugged play.”
The Lady Panthers broke open the tightly-contested affair with goals from Taylor Grout, Gaab and Greene. After being denied goals by a stingy Lee’s Summit defense in the early stages of the game, pressure by the OTHS attackers final produced positive results and extended the OTHS girls’ win streak to three.
In the tourney semi-finals, the O’Fallon girls faced off against St. Teresa High School in what Garrison characterized as his team’s toughest challenge of the weekend.
“St. Teresa is a great team. They finished 17-3 last year, and we had never earned a win against them in several previous meetings,” said Garrison. “It was a great feeling to finally defeat them. Georgie Gaab played a critical role for us. Her scoring and ability to spot teammates on the attack helped turn the tide in the game.”
The two squads matched goals in the early stages of the contest. However, the Lady Panthers were able to pull out a 10-7 victory and advance to the tourney finals against Shawnee Mission High School.
The OTHS squad completed their five-game sweep with a 9-5 victory over Shawnee Mission, a team coached by OTHS alum Laura Gentry. Keys to the Lady Panthers’ win were Grout and freshman Maddy Dalonzo.
“Maddy dominated the draw controls with eight,” Garrison explained. “Her effort on the draw controls helped us gain an advantage in possession time and established the pace of the game. Although just a freshman, Maddy is incredibly talented, and we see big things in her future.”
With Dalonzo setting the pace, Grout, a senior, supplied the hammer, ensuring O’Fallon’s victory. Grout was able to enforce her will of the offensive end of the field, according to Garrison.
“Taylor was very impressive. Her veteran leadership and understanding of the game not only produced goals but also set up teammates for scoring opportunities critical for us to pull out the victory.”
The Lady Panthers will try to keep their exceptional early season form intact in the up-coming week with their home-opener versus John Burroughs slated for April 6, followed by a road game against Westminster Christian next Monday and another home date next Tuesday, April 11 when they face-off against Kirkwood (Missouri.) High.
This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Lacrosse Lady Panthers off to sizzling start."