Yellow Jackets Dominate 12th Annual National Draw Long Island Based Organization Takes Varsity, Risers & Middlers Divisions; M&D Nabs JV
Annapolis, MD (July 6, 2011) - National Draw 2011 turned into a showcase for the talent and depth of the Yellow Jackets club program. The Long Island-based organization captured three of four championships at the 12th annual tournament – an impressive accomplishment that had founder and owner Carol Rose beaming with pride. “National Draw always attracts the top competition in the country so it is certainly a feather in our cap to win three titles this year,” Rose said. “I’m extremely proud of the whole organization – players, coaches and parents. We work very, very hard to develop players and field strong teams so it’s nice to see those efforts rewarded.”
The Yellow Jackets were crowned champs in the Varsity, Risers and Middlers divisions. Rose said the organization, which was founded in 1999 and now features 600 athletes and 26 teams, has won three titles at smaller tournaments, but never that many at a major event such as National Draw. “This year’s tournament fields were all very strong so it is a real credit to those three teams to emerge as champions,” Rose said. “There were some very close, competitive games along the way and our kids showed real determination to consistently come out on top.”
Rose was particularly proud that the Varsity Division championship game was between two Yellow Jackets entries as the 2012 squad defeated the 2013 contingent, 4-2. It was a real breakthrough tourney for Yellow Jackets 2012 Blue, which has reached the semifinals or finals of numerous tournaments without coming away with a championship. “It took us five years to do this,” exclaimed Paige Bonomi, a rising senior at Northport High who has committed to play collegiately for the fledgling program at USC. “This group of girls has been together since 2007 and come close so many times. To finally win an event, especially one the caliber of National Draw, was very rewarding. All of the players were completely ecstatic,” Rose said. “This is their last summer together and almost all the players have picked colleges. They played relaxed because there is no longer any pressure.”
Goalkeepers Michaela Aymong (Northport High, Richmond University) and Chelsea Sidaras (William Floyd, Fairfield) anchored a stingy defense that held opponents to an average of four goals. Defender Stephanie Peragallo was outstanding in one-versus-one coverage and forced a slew of turnovers during the tournament as Yellow Jackets went 4-0 in round-robin play then 3-0 in the playoffs. Lefty attack Jenna Fuchs (Garden City, Fairfield) scored several game-winning goals for Yellow Jackets, who knocked off defending champion M&D 2013 Black in the semifinals. Alex Bruno (Garden City, Princeton) dominated the draws while fellow midfielders Christina Esposito (West Babylon, Northwestern) and Catherine Dickinson (Garden City, Pennsylvania) showed tremendous heart and hustle while making on impact on ground balls and in the clearing game.
This year’s National Draw, held June 24-26 at Cherokee High in Marlton, N.J., attracted 4,827 athletes with 250 teams from throughout the United States. The tournament, organized and directed by Synapse Sports and sponsored by Gatorade and STX, has long set the standard on the women’s club lacrosse circuit. “National Draw continues to live up to its enduring legacy as one of the finest club lacrosse tournaments in the country,” said Cathy Samaras, founder and CEO of Synapse Sports. Following is a brief look at the other championship teams from the 2011 National Draw:
JUNIOR VARSITY: Goaltenders Rachel Ortell (Marriott’s Ridge High) and Cameron Baumgartner (Glenelg Country) anchored a suffocating defensive effort that lifted Howard County, MD based M&D 2014 Black to a 7-1 victory over Syracuse-based Relentless Hustle in the Junior Varsity final. Julie LeGar (Garrison Forest), Amanda Miller (Mount de Sales), Kay Kelly (Centennial) and Alexis Zadjura (Marriott’s Ridge) formed a rock-solid defensive unit that played great containment and caused numerous turnovers. Amanda Ignacio (Mount de Sales) was the finisher while fellow attacker Megan Whittle (McDonogh) served as playmaker for M&D, a group of rising sophomores that has been together since the sixth grade. Stephanie Holmes (McDonogh) controlled the draws while fellow midfielder Taylor Hensh (Marriott’s Ridge) provided superb work between the lines as M&D went 7-0 in the tourney.
“This team goes 22 deep and I can substitute liberally without any drop off in play,” said Chris Robinson, founder of M&D and head coach of the 2014 squad. “We played seven games in two days, including five on Sunday, so I think our depth was a huge factor. We were still fresh for the playoffs.”
RISERS: Midfielders Emma Gallagher (Garden City) and Kasey Mitchell (Mount Sinai) led the way as Yellow Jackets 2015 Blue shut out M&D Black 2015 Black, 3-0, in the championship game of the Middle School bracket. Gallagher, one of the fastest players in the country for that age group, was a force in transition and scored two goals in the final. Mitchell, a true finisher, scored at least one goal in every game as Yellow Jackets went 7-0.
Versatile, athletic midfielder Nikki Ortega (Middle Country) gobbled up ground balls and created for teammates while attacker Gabbi Labuskes (Northport) scored two goals to key a 6-0 shutout of Long Island rival Top Guns in the semifinals. Fast, aggressive defender Sydney Pirreca ce (Mount Sinai) routinely shut down opponent’s top scoring threat and was also instrumental in the clearing game for a team that has won almost every tournament it has entered over the past three years. “This is an intense group of girls that are on a mission,” Rose said. “They have great team chemistry and tremendous overall speed.”
MIDDLERS: Attacker Alex DiChiara along with midfielders Grace Shapiro and Ali Murphy displayed superb stickwork and provided most of the scoring as Yellow Jackets 2017 Blue defeated Hudson Valley, 10-3, in the finals of the Risers division. Goalies Hannah Van Middlem and Sarah Reznick anchored a stout defense as Yellow Jackets limited opponents to an average of four goals in going 7-0 in the tournament. Defenders Devon Heaney and Taylor Gladd helped make it difficult for opposing offenses to get off quality shots. “These girls play with a maturity beyond their years. They are a very unselfish group that knows how to move the ball and work together,” Coach Courtney Bertolone said.
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