When you watch Spencerport girls lacrosse this season, it is obvious that the team is jump-started from their defense. As possession changes, the Rangers immediately go into the equivalent of a full-court press that often results in turnovers, offensive zone possession time, and much less pressure on their defense.
Senior Lily DePalma is often at the center of that pressure. She is tied for the team lead with 19 caused turnovers and leads with 19 ground balls after defeating Gates-Chili 17-1 in the pre-quarterfinal round of the Section V playoffs to improve their record to 8-7.
The 2019 Second Team All-League and All-Tournament Team selection and recently announced class Salutatorian also leads the Rangers setting career-best marks in points with 59 and assists with 32. She is committed to play lacrosse next season at the University of Chicago.
“She has adopted that assisting role, and it puts her in a good position too to get on the eight-meter, and she’s pretty successful from there too,” Spencerport head coach Patricia Condon said about DePalma.
Classmate Hailey Rooney, also a 2019 Second Team All-League pick, played up front through the early stages of the season and at one point was the team’s scoring leader, but has taken on more of a key defensive position against some of the league’s top teams to balance out the unit.
Rooney had a three-goal, one assist effort in the romp over Gates-Chili to give her 28 goals and eight assists to go with 15 groundballs (second on the team) and 35 draw controls (third on the team). She will play next season at Canisius College.
“She is a great one-on-one defender,” Condon commented about Rooney. “We talked this season that I know it is her senior season, and I’m going to let you live it up, and I know she loves to get up there on offense, but for the past three years, I have pulled her back, and she has been part of a core defensive unit and always does what is best for the team.”
Seniors Elaina Johnson, Skylar Mogab, and Katie Straub and junior Emma Taylor also help anchor the defense.
Freshman Molly Guzik, playing in her second varsity season after initially playing as a seventh-grader, has really come into her own this season and led the team in scoring with 38 goals. She has evolved into the main option in the offensive zone scoring three or more in a game six times over the last ten games.
She also uses her tall frame to pace the Rangers in draw controls with 66 and is tied with DePalma for the team lead with 19 caused turnovers.
“She played and started in 2019 as a seventh-grader, but she kind of hid and was gaining confidence a bit,” Condon said. “She plays Monster and as much lacrosse as she can at the highest level. She’s a laxer, and there aren’t many of those in Spencerport – I have a lot of soccer players and good athletes, but she is a true lax.
“She studies the game; she watches the game and is a great leader because she knows the game so well.”
A prime example of how this Rangers team revolves around this trio is, in the playoff game against Gates-Chili, even with everyone getting in on the scoring parade (11 different players scored at least one goal), they combined for nine of the team’s 13 draw controls.
“They are a really strong midfield line and have had a lot of growing up to do really quickly this season,” Condon said. “They went from supporting players to leaders and come up in key games. They’re grown up a lot after putting a lot of work in during the offseason…and it really shows.”
Sixth-seeded Spencerport plays third-seed Mercy in the quarterfinals.
