Seniors are the backbone of this year’s Council Rock North girls lacrosse team.
So it was fitting that CR North picked up a big Suburban One League National Conference win on Senior Night.
The host Indians toppled Bensalem, 19-3, on Friday night at Walt Snyder Stadium.
Before the game, CR North honored seniors Taylor Deppi, Liza McBride, Maddy Mela, Charlotte Ondria, Julie Ondria and Bridget Walstrum.
It didn’t take long for the Indians to start scoring. Mela took a pass from McBride and found the net just 1:12 into play and by the end of the first quarter, CR North held a 7-0 lead that extended to 9-0 by halftime.
They continued to build on the lead, ending the third quarter ahead, 14-0. Bensalem put in the last three goals of the game.
Charlotte Ondria scored three goals, had one assist and three draw controls. She netted the 100th goal of her career in the first quarter with her second goal.
“It was really exciting,” she said. “I was looking forward to it for my whole high school career. I really wanted to hit it. It was a big achievement and I’m so happy I finally did it. It was totally unplanned that it happened on Senior Night but that made it even better.
“Now my focus is to keep winning, keep the team together, and hopefully doing well in the playoffs.”
She will play lacrosse at Stockton, where she is undecided on a major. She also played field hockey for the Indians.
It was the second consecutive win for the Indians, who were coming off an 18-8 triumph over Souderton.
“It’s important for us to keep winning,” said Julia Ondria, who also played field hockey for CR North. “It’s definitely a good feeling and I think it keeps everyone on their toes and in good spirits.
“I think we can get to the playoffs and hopefully to beat (Council Rock) South as well.”
She ended the game with four goals, five assists, two ground balls and one draw control. Her lacrosse career will continue at Florida Tech, where she plans to major in environmental science.
Mela scored twice and had an assist. She spent most of the fourth quarter in goal, making two saves.
“It was something I wanted to do,” said Mela, typically an attack player or midfielder. “It was terrifying. I never want to do it again. I appreciate our goalie, Lucy Carney, so much more.”
Mela, who also played field hockey, plans to play lacrosse at West Chester where she is considering a major in public health.
Carney, a junior, made six saves and registered an assist as a field player.
McBride had two goals, won four draw controls and picked up a ground ball.
“We’re a pretty senior-heavy team and they might miss us next year, but we have a lot of talented juniors and sophomores,” she said. “We have good freshmen, too. I think we’re pretty well-rounded so the future looks good.”
Deppi scored a goal, had two assists and a ground ball.
“We have a lot of talent on this team, and it’s important for us to win the games we need to win,” she said. “Coming off last season I think we’ve improved a lot. We’re really working together well. I think this team is definitely built to win this year. We’re driving hard and we’re really committed to getting as far as we can this year.
“We have a lot of seniors who will be graduating but at the same time, we’re leaving good players behind so I feel like they’ll be in good shape for next year, too.”
She will play lacrosse at Neumann University, where she will major in criminal justice with a minor in psychology.
McBride had two goals, four draw controls and a ground ball, Ellie Carney netted two goals, three draw controls and one ground ball, Olivia Esposito chipped in a goal, three ground balls and two draw controls, and Gabby Mann contributed an assist for the Indians.
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