on June 21, 2016 7:59 AM
In the biggest spots in the biggest games against the best teams that the state had to offer this year, there was one player forSummit, No. 1 in the NJ.com Top 20, who consistently came through when it mattered most.
She never demanded the ball, but when it found its way into her stick, there was no way that senior Sara Szynal was going to waste the opportunity. That disposition drove the Northwestern commit all season long and allowed her to come up with a five-goal performance in the Tournament of Champions final as Summit collected an 11-10 double overtime victory over No. 2 Ridgewood.
The win gave the Hilltoppers their first overall state title since 1999 and capped off an amazing four-year run for Summit's senior class, which won four group titles and advanced to three Tournament of Champions finals. It was a group effort that finally allowed the Union County squad to get over the hump, but Szynal was the headliner and her efforts earned her the honor of being named this year's NJ.com Player of the Year.
"It's so hard to put into words because I have enjoyed this ride so much and I've learned so much about myself and about my teammates along the way," said Szynal, whose team became only the second program in state history to win four straight state titles. "This group of girls that I'm lucky enough to play with doesn't fail, we don't lose very often, and the fact that we lost twice in the ToC before this year motivated us. I'm just so proud and happy to know that we were able to do pull it out though and the way this all ended was storybook."
In the biggest game of the season with everything on the line, it was Szynal who kept Summit afloat as it struggled through the first half against Ridgewood, which took a 6-3 lead into halftime. The senior scored all three of Summit's goals in that opening period, but her day was still far from over in the Tournament of Champions final.
Szynal came back in the second half and delivered again, scoring twice in the final 25 minutes. The senior's last score gave the Hilltoppers a 10-9 advantage that was reached after a four-goal run erased a three-goal deficit that seemed insurmountable with 12 minutes left in regulation.
Ridgewood's Lillie Kloak kept Szynal's goal from being the game-winner when she scored with 18 seconds left in regulation, but that goal just allowed Szynal's teammate, Callie Humphrey, to play the role of hero as well with a score in double overtime.
Although she wasn't able to get the goal that officially put the game to rest, Szynal was still the most dominant player on the field in what will go down as one of the most memorable Tournament of Champions finals ever. The senior's five goals in the final increased her season total to 84, with 53 scores coming against Top 20 teams and another seven against nationally-ranked teams from out-of-state.
"I put pressure on myself because I want to be a leader and I score goals; that's what I do," said Szynal, whose 293 career goals reset the record of 214 that was previously held by Gina Scioscia and Caroline Cordrey. "I'm not a super good defender, I'm not anything like that, so I just want to contribute to each win and that's the best way I know how and that's why I put so much emphasis on that part of the game."
What's even more amazing about those scores in the final and the ones that were recorded earlier in the season is what Szynal had to fight through to get them.
A year after working her way back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, the senior was hampered at times by a hamstring injury and also by what she believes was a hip flexor injury. Those two ailments kept Szynal on the sidelines at time sin practice and once in a while in games, but they never kept the senior from making am impact when things mattered the most.
"Our trainers are awesome and our coaches are smart," Szynal said. "They realize that we don't have to push it in practice, so the last couple of practices before the ToC, I didn't really play because I could't move too well. When you're in big games though, you don't think about that. The adrenaline is such a big drug, I guess you could say, and once you get in the game, you're not thinking about it because you're just thinking about the next play."
Summit was fueled by a senior cast of elite talent this year that included Humphrey,Catherine Cordrey, Julia Persche, Maggie Moriarty, Samantha Forsyth, Teia Ross, Morgan Strabley, Emily Kalin, Isabel Zachara and Kathleen Morano. Each and every one of those athletes played their part during the unforgettable ride to the Tournament of Champions title, but front and center during the whole trip was Szynal and that's a sight that will last forever in the history of Summit girls lacrosse.
"Sara is a once-in-a-lifetime lacrosse player," said Summit coach Mike Walsh. "Her ability to score when faced with the opposing team's best defender, or with defenses designed around her, never ceased to amaze us. She has the highest lacrosse IQ of any player I have ever coached. She faced a number of challenges in her senior year, but never lost sight of our team's ultimate goal and was instrumental in our run. She demonstrated incredible leadership and is respected by every member of our program. She is a perfect role model and wonderful young woman. I am honored to have coached her."