(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: DRIVE FOR FIVE: Stuart Country Day lacrosse star Caroline Passano races up the field in a game last spring. Stuart will be depending on senior star Passano to trigger the offense as it goes after a fifth straight state Prep B title. The Tartans are seeded No. 1 in the Prep B tourney and will begin play on May 4 when they host a semifinal clash between the victor of the opening round game between No. 4 Rutgers Prep and fifth-seeded Newark Academy. In the meantime, Stuart plays at Lawrenceville School on April 30.

Stuart Lax Aiming to Play With Confidence as It Chases Fifth Straight Prep B Crown

Bill Alden

It was a defeat but it represented progress for the Stuart Country Day lacrosse team.

Hosting undefeated Peddie School last week, Stuart got off to a strong start and built a 5-4 lead as the teams headed into halftime.

The powerful Falcons battled back and took the lead. But with two minutes left, it was anybody’s game as Stuart trailed by just 10-8.

Peddie, however, scored three unanswered goals in the last 1:41 to pull away to a 13-8 win.

In reflecting on the loss, Stuart head coach Sara Wagner liked what she saw from her team.

“We played a really sound game fundamentally; we didn’t do anything fancy,” said Wagner, who got four goals from senior star Caroline Passano in the defeat with Maddie Copeland scoring three and Elizabeth Bucklee chipping in one.

“We were confident in each other; we knew where we were going to be. We just made a few too many turnovers.”

Last Thursday, Stuart gained a tad more confidence as it pulled out a 9-9 tie at WW/P-N in the absence of senior star Bucklee who was attending to college matters.

Passano led the way for the Tartans as she fired in five goals while Copeland added three.

In Wagner’s view, the play of precocious freshman Copeland has been a revelation for the 3-5-1 Tartans.

“Maddie played well in the North game,” said Wagner of Copeland, who starred for the Stuart field hockey team this past fall.

“She has come on strong in our last two games. She is such a natural athlete and she really thinks the game. She works really hard and she is gritty.”

The Tartans have needed grit this spring as they have dealt with injuries and have been forced to go with some less experienced players.

“We are shorthanded; we have been missing Amanda Curnan all year and now Kara Weeks is out,” said Wagner. “We are developing our young players.”

With Stuart having been seeded No. 1 in the upcoming state prep B tournament and the Mercer County Tournament also on the horizon, Wagner is hoping her team can develop a championship chemistry.

The Tartans do bring confidence into postseason play, having won four straight Prep B titles and advancing to the county semifinals last spring.

“The preps are a motivator, we do talk about our streak,” said Wagner, whose team plays at Lawrenceville on April 30 before hosting a Prep B semifinal game on May 4 between the winner of the opening round clash between No. 4 Rutgers Prep and fifth-seeded Newark Academy.

“We need to play with confidence; that is 60 percent of our game. We are playing Ranney on Tuesday [April 28] and Lawrenceville on Thursday. We have two games to figure things out. We are looking for Passano and Bucklee to lead the way. We also need the young players to keep improving.”

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