Holmdel girls lax seeking repeat trip to postseason BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer With five wins in its first eight games the Holmdel High School girls lacrosse team has its sites set on a return visit to both the NJSIAA North Group II and the Shore Conference tournaments. Included among the Hornets victories is a come-from-behind, 14-11, triumph over St. John Vianney. Coach Jennifer Conroy's squad has also defeated St. Rose, Howell, Wall and Central Regional. Holmdel's losses have come against Manasquan, Shore Regional and powerful Rumson-Fair Haven. "The win over St. John was big for us because we have a very young team," Conroy said. "That helped the girls' confidence. They also played very well against Rumson-Fair Haven. It was a good game in the first half, but we let the game slip away and some of that happened because of our inexperience." A year ago Holmdel went 9-8 and qualified for both the Shore and state tourneys- both firsts for the team. The Hornets defeatedNVDemarest, in the opening round of the states before bowing to West Morris Mendham in the second round. That performance has Conroy's team looking to do even better this time around. This is a big week for the Hornets with three home games on the schedule, all against Shore Conference ClassA Central opponents. Holmdel was set to play Manasquan yesterday and will meet St. Rose in a rematch on Thursday. St. John Vianney comes to town on Saturday. Holmdel has just four seniors in the lineup: attack Nicole Sepelverus, midfielders Lia Lanzo and Sam Wu and defender Michelle Moreno. Conroy noted that all four play leadership roles on and off the field. Sepelverus leads the team in scoring with 22 goals. Lanzo and Wu are both solid in patrolling the middle, while Moreno anchors a defense that has been doing a good job. In addition to Sepelverus, the Hornets offense includes junior Kay Gonzalez and sophomore Stephanie DeSousa, who have scored 20 and 15 goals, respectively. With three scoring threats on the front line, it's difficult for opponents to key on any one of them, Conroy said. Junior Kristin Gagliardi joins Lanzo and Wu in the middle, and all three are often on the field for most of each game. Versatile sophomore Katie Twomey spells the trio and also sees action on the front line or defense depending on the situation. Moreno is part of a defensive corps that includes juniors Kristin Davila and Katie Pritchard, along with sophomores Liz Keenan Kay Lynn Nelson and Melissa Pezzello. The Hornets are playing without Christy Chesbro, who started last spring. The junior is out for the season with a knee injury. Kristin Morello has emerged as the starter in net. The sophomore has shown much promise in recording five victories and averaging seven saves per game. Morello was outstanding in the loss to Rumson-Fair Haven, recording 16 saves. "Overall this is a pretty athletic group of girls, which is important, because many of them stay in for the entire game," Conroy added. "Our sophomores are kind of learning as they go, but they've been doing a good job, and they're getting better with each game. We need them to continue making better decisions on the field. That kind of consistency will help us."