RUNNING THE SHOW: Hun School girls’ lacrosse star and team captain Emily Decicco races up the field in a game earlier this season. Senior defender Decicco has spearheaded the Hun backline this spring with her intensity and leadership. Last Saturday, the Hun program held its annual Senior Day ceremony but things didn’t end well for the Raiders as they fell 16-13 to Notre Dame in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament and dropping to 5-6. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Emily Decicco felt a rush of emotion as the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team got ready to take the field against visiting Notre Dame last Saturday in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament.

The Hun program celebrated its Class of 2012 and senior defender Dicicco was the last of her classmates honored in the pregame ceremony.

“I have been on this turf for seven years now so it was definitely a big game for us,” said Decicco, reflecting on the Senior Day festivities.

For over a half, it looked like it was going to be a big day for the eighth-seeded Raiders as they took an 8-7 lead over No. 9 Notre Dame at halftime and clung to a 9-8 advantage some six minutes into the second half.

But Notre Dame went on a 3-0 run to take an 11-9 advantage and Hun could never regain the lead. The Raiders drew to within one at 11-10 and 12-11 but that was as close as they got on the way to a 16-13 loss.

While Decicco was disappointed by the defeat, she had no qualms with how Hun battled Notre Dame.

“Although this isn’t the outcome I wanted to see in my final game here, I am proud of us,” said Decicco, reflecting on the loss which dropped Hun to 5-6. “We fought hard right to the end.”

The fiery Decicco tries hard to lead the Raiders from the backline. “I keep us going from behind; I oversee the field,” said Decicco. “I definitely keep the morale.”

Decicco also picks her spots to get the offense going, using her speed to make end-to-end forays.

“Nothing feels better than running it down the field and passing to  Francesca [Bello] or Kate [Weeks] and seeing them put it in the back of the net,” said Decicco.

With Hun’s season winding down with MCT consolation contests, Decicco is looking for the Raiders to put forth a big effort.

“We are definitely going to bring everything we have to our last few games,” said Decicco, who is heading to Cornell where she plans to walk on to the women’s lacrosse team.

Hun head coach Beth Loffredo thought her team may have brought too much emotion into the game with Notre Dame.

“They were too pumped; they were having trouble controlling themselves,” said Loffredo.

“They were too fidgety; everything was too fast. We needed to slow it down. It was our Senior Day and Kate Weeks has a sick cousin who we were playing for today.”

Even though Hun held the lead for much of the first 30 minutes of the contest, Loffredo had an uneasy feeling.

“I felt like we were playing catchup the whole time; I thought we should have been further ahead,” said Loffredo, who got six goals from junior star Kate Weeks in the loss to Notre Dame with Francesca Bello chipping in three.

“I never felt comfortable. I was waiting for a run but they just didn’t do it and the other team poured it on.”

Loffredo credited her seniors for having a nice run over their years at Hun. “It is great having those kind of people around us everyday; athletically they are great and as far as people, they are even better,” said Loffredo, whose group of seniors includes Lucia Perasso, Peyton Lutz, and Lily MacGregor, in addition to Decicco.

“It is definitely sad that they are going to be leaving us but they are going on to big things. Emily is going to Cornell and Lucia is going to Princeton. Peyton is heading to Hobart/William Smith; she is going to play there.”

With Hun having fallen 22-14 to Lawrenceville earlier in the week to get eliminated from the state Prep A tourney, Loffredo wants her players to take some lessons from the setbacks.

“I am hoping they remember the feeling so when we go into it next year, they take it as seriously as I want them to,” said Loffredo. “I want us to just play our best and end on a good note.”

In Decicco’s view, things look bright for a Raider program that has already made good progress.

“I think I will remember just seeing us grow from what we were when I first started playing here to now,” said Decicco, in reflecting on her career.

“It just makes me really happy. I am really excited to see where this program will go because we have a lot of young talent.”