Whenever Oak Park and River Forest and Fenwick high schools meet in athletic competition — especially in the state playoffs, the contests often go down to the wire.
However, that was not the case when OPRF and Fenwick met in an IHSA girls’ lacrosse sectional semifinal on June 9.
The host Huskies (8-8) scored the game’s first nine goals and coasted to a 15-4 victory over the Friars.
“We had a lot of girls scoring which helped us a lot, and our goalie [Kat Andries] stepped up big,” said OPRF coach James Borja. “She’s been having a lot of strong games lately, saving a lot of shots.”
The Huskies’ scoring against Fenwick was balanced, with three players — Greta McNulty, Rachel Simon, and Tao Tao Stolz — scoring three goals apiece.
The short-handed Friars (10-7) struggled to sustain offensive attacks and spent a large amount of time pinned in its’ own end of the field, particularly during the first half.
“We were missing some people, and with the heat it’s hard to keep up with a fast team like [OPRF],” said Fenwick coach Tracy Bonaccorsi. “But I’m proud of the girls; there’s nothing to hang their heads about. We had an awesome season.”
Fenwick senior Caroline Finn was a bright spot, scoring all of her team’s goals. The Florida Tech signee was lauded by Bonaccorsi afterwards for her efforts throughout the year.
“Caroline will go down as one of the best to put on a Fenwick lacrosse jersey,” said Bonaccorsi of Finn, who finished her career with over 100 goals.
Despite having a sub-.500 record entering the state tournament, Borja believed OPRF’s rigorous schedule prepared the team well for the postseason.
“We played a schedule this season against top teams in the state, and our girls were gradually able to adjust to the competition,” he said.
However, the season came to an end on June 11 as the Huskies fell to host St. Ignatius 14-9 in the sectional title game.
Grace Koch led OPRF in goals during the 2021 season with 35, while Ava Eckman had the most points with 61.
