(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: COMFORT LEVEL: Hun School girls’ lacrosse star Sarah Appelt bolts up the field in action last season. With senior star Appelt having gained a comfort level in her second year with the program, she has brought leadership along with her stick skills. Team captain Appelt has scored 75 points this season to help Hun go 11-4.

With Appelt Gaining Comfort Level, Hun Girls’ Lax Seeking Big Finish

Bill Alden

Sarah Appelt let her stick do the talking when she joined the Hun School girls’ lacrosse team as a junior in the 2007 season.

The soft-spoken Appelt tallied 66 points on 48 goals and 18 assists as she made a sudden impact for the program.

This spring, Appelt was elevated to team captain and has assumed a more take-charge role on the field.

“I feel last year I was more shy and this year, I’m more willing to help others get fired up and try to help the Hun program,” said Appelt after scoring four goals and three assists in Hun’s 21-3 win over Blair last Wednesday on the program’s Senior Day “I am more comfortable this year than I was last year and I feel like that helped out a lot.”

Appelt has also led by example, playing through a series of nagging injuries. “I have tendinitis in my right knee and I hurt the rotator cuff in my shoulder,” explained Appelt. “They think I might have cracked a bone in my knee. In the middle of the season, I was in a lot of pain. Right now I forget about it and I just play.”

It is painful for the Towson-bound Appelt to be wrapping up her time at Hun. “It’s really upsetting to know that my Hun career is coming to an end,” said Appelt. “College is going to be very different.”

With the Raiders having been knocked out in the semifinals of the state Prep A tournament after a 14-9 loss at Peddie, Appelt and her classmates are determined to end things with a bang as they compete in the Mercer County Tournament.

“We are hungry for that,” said Appelt, referring to the MCT. “We are just going to go into that playing the best we can and giving it everything and see what happens. We have nothing to lose going into this tournament so it is all or nothing.”

Appelt certainly gave her all last Thursday, scoring eight points as fifth-seeded Hun routed No. 12 WW/P-S 21-5 in the opening round of the MCT to improve to 11-4 on the season.

Hun was slated to play at No. 4 Hightstown on May 13 in the county quarterfinals with the victor advancing to the semis against the winner of the Hopewell Valley-Allentown matchup.

When it comes to playing in tournaments, Appelt has quite a role model in her older sister, Amy, a former All-American lacrosse player at the University of Virginia who led the Cavaliers to the national title in 2004.

“I really wanted to play D-1 lacrosse, it has been my dream ever since my sister went to Virginia,” said Appelt, who now has 75 points this season with 43 goals and 32 assists. “She’s influenced me a lot. I’ve played in summer tournaments since I was in sixth grade.”

Appelt is looking forward to taking her skills to Towson, which sits in the lacrosse hotbed of Maryland. “Towson showed the most interest, I figured it was the best place for me,” said Appelt. “Academically and lacrosse-wise, it was the perfect fit.”

And with her lacrosse skills and growth as a leader, Appelt has been a perfect fit for Hun.

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