(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: NO LETTING GO: Hun School star midfielder Melissa Marino maintains possession despite a stiff challenge from a foe in action last spring. Marino’s defensive intensity and stick skills helped Hun post a 12-5 mark in 2008 as the Raiders advanced to both the state Prep A and Mercer County Tournament semifinals.

Hun School Girls’ Lax Kept Improving, Developing into High-Powered Squad

Bill Alden

In mid-April, the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team absorbed a 17-8 beating at the hands of powerful Hopewell Valley.

A month later, Hun battled HoVal tooth-and-nail in the Mercer County Tournament (MCT) semifinals before succumbing 12-10 to the Bulldogs.

In reflecting on the team’s season, Hun first-year head coach Jon Stone saw the effort against HoVal as exemplifying the improvement he saw over the spring.

“I think we played very well; we came out and went after them,” said Stone, who guided the Raiders to a 12-5 record as he took over for the departed Lauren Provenzano.

“We started slow in the second half and then we came back and tied it up. They dominated possession; they had it for nearly 10 minutes in a row. That being said, our defense was outstanding. We played well enough to win; just needed a couple of more plays to go our way.”

Things went Hun’s way more often than not as the squad emerged as one of the high-powered teams in the area.

“I think overall it was a successful season,” asserted Stone, noting that four of the losses on the season came to two teams, eventual MCT and sectional champ HoVal and Peddie, the state Prep A runners-up.

“We progressed in just a little bit of everything. The defense solidified; our goalie ViVi Washington got better and better. The chemistry was good: the girls had fun with each other.”

Stone had a lot of fun watching senior star Sarah Appelt trigger the Hun offense.

“Sarah is just a tremendous player; her experience and knowledge of the game may have been the most important things she gave to the team,” said Stone of the Towson-bound Appelt who scored 86 points on 49 goals and 37 assists.

“She had a tremendous number of assists. Generally, you aren’t going to get that many in girls’ lacrosse because it is such a one-on-one game. That speaks to her unselfish play and her ability. She is like a point guard; she would call out plays. She was an extension of the coach on the field.”

Appelt’s fellow seniors, Bridget Stinson and Melissa Marino, dominated the middle of the field for the Raiders.

“Both of them were great; in both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, the game is won and lost in the midfield,” asserted Stone, who credited another senior, Laura Coyle, with leading the Hun defensive charge.

“The ability to control the midfield is critical. They did an excellent job at both ends of the field and they both have great stick skills. Bridget gets more of the limelight because she can turn the corner and got a lot of goals. Melissa is the glue that holds the team together; she is the unsung hero. She is more of a defensive stopper so she doesn’t always get the credit she deserves.”

Hun has some returning stars who should hold things together next season in the high-scoring trio of Addy Godfrey, Emma Molloy, and Suzanne Arnold.

“Each of them has a lot of experience, they each had around 30 goals,” said Stone, whose team should also return Maura Giordano, Maddie Welch, and Gina Fiori together with goalie Washington on defense.

“Each of them does different things which is good. We will have a huge gap in the midfield next year.”

The returners can do some good things if they emulate the hard-nosed mentality displayed by this year’s seniors.

“The biggest thing they should take is knowing how to be competitive,” added Stone, whose team also advanced to the state Prep A semis where it fell to Peddie. “The seniors competed at such a high level and the others saw that.”

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