ON THE BALL: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Allison Lee, right, goes after the ball in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star Lee tallied seven goals and two assists as Stuart fell 14-12 to South Brunswick. The Tartans, who lost 14-5 Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Invitational last Monday to move to 3-9, host Delaware Valley on May 9 and then play at Princeton Day School on May 13. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Even though time was running out on the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team as it trailed South Brunswick by three goals in the waning moments last Saturday, Allison Lee wasn’t about to give up.

Stuart junior star Lee darted into the crease area and fired a shot into the back of the cage with 26.9 second left in the game to tally the final goal of the day as the Tartans fell 14-12.

While Lee was disappointed by the result on a day when Stuart jumped out to a 4-2 lead heading into the second quarter, she exemplified the way the Tartans battled to the final horn.

“We got into a really good rhythm at first, we were really focused and into it,” said Lee, who ended up with seven goals and two assists in the defeat.

“Towards the middle, we lost a little bit of focus there. It ultimately got away from us and we ran out of time. I love the way that we fought towards the end — we just need to keep it up all 48 minutes.”

Lee, who is coming off a 2023 season that saw her score 100 goals, acknowledged that things have been challenging this spring.

“This year has been little bit tougher, we are playing tougher competition,” said Lee, who scored three goals last Monday as Stuart fell 14-5 to Hopewell Valley in the Mercer County Invitational quarterfinals and now has 57 goals this season. “Especially with a younger team, it has been harder to move forward a little bit but we are progressing. We are much better than we were in the beginning of the season. I am super proud of that.”

Getting to play with younger sister, freshman Lauren, this year has been a plus for Lee.

“I love playing with her,” said Lee, who assisted on a goal by her younger sister in the third quarter of the South Brunswick game. “I played with her last when I was in third grade. It is just super fun to have that sister chemistry.”

In addition, Lee has enjoyed working with the squad’s other freshmen.

“It has been really awesome to start the year with a new team,” said Lee of the freshman group which features Hadassah Broughton, Betsy Murphy, Maddie Razler, Celia Struve-Altuve, and Maeve Wall along with the younger Lee. “A bunch of the freshmen are stepping up. Today, Celia was face-guarding their team’s best player. Others were going hard on the ride. It is really a team effort.”

Stuart first-year head coach Paige Meszaros credits the older Lee with making a big impact on the team.

“Allison is awesome out there, she is a great team leader too,” said Meszaros. “The girls all look up to her. She has been so helpful for our team, on and off the field. At practice, she has been really great too.”

Although the Tartans struggled a bit after getting off to a great start against South Brunswick, Meszaros was proud of the way her players regained their momentum down the stretch of the contest.

“We came out really hot, we started really well and strong,” said Meszaros.

“I think we got complacent towards the middle of the game. It was definitely an evenly matched game, which was good because we have had a tough week. They fought hard the whole time all the way through and that is what we look for as coaches.”

Stuart got some strong contributions throughout the lineup against South Brunswick as Lauren Lee had two goals and one assist, Emily Harlan chipped in a goal and an assist, with Razler and Najma Tahiry scoring one apiece.

“It was a good team effort out there today, we had some new girls that scored,” said Meszaros. “It was good to see them scoring.”

It has been good for Meszaros to see the Lee sisters click on the field. “They have a nice connection, it is nice that they have each other out there,” said Meszaros. “It is cool that they get to be teammates.”

The squad’s other freshmen have had some nice moments this spring.

“It is a lot of freshmen, they are all doing a great job,” said Meszaros. “A lot of the freshmen are really strong.”

Over the course of the spring, those young players have been making steady progress.

“There are definitely some things that we have improved upon,” asserted Meszaros. “Our transition in the midfield looks a lot better. Offensively, we were pushing the fast break. Defensively we have a little bit more to go. We have a young team out there. They are still learning, they are still connecting.”

With Stuart moving to 3-9 in the wake of the loss to HoVal and hosting Delaware Valley on May 9 and then playing at Princeton Day School on May 13, Meszaros is looking for her squad to keep pushing forward.

“I think defensively we have to tighten up on a few things, we are going to be focusing heavily on that in practice,” said Meszaros. “Then it is just getting our voices — talking, communicating, and continuing to work together as a team. That is something we have grown in as the season has progressed, being able to work together. The team chemistry has improved as the season has gone on, so that is good to see.”

That positive chemistry has sparked the team’s growth. “I love it, the girls are such a nice group, they all lean on one another,” said Meszaros. “Being that some of them are new to lacrosse, it is good to see that they are really helping each other. I think since this season started, it seems like a whole new team out there. We still have a long way to go.”

Lee, for her part, believes that that the Tartans need to go hard to the final whistle to end the spring on a high note.

“I love the team energy today, especially on the sidelines, it starts there,” said Lee. “Everybody is playing their role. It is definitely keeping up the intensity. You saw it there at the end today, it is just playing the entire game that way.”