By Chris Goldberg

    TopLaxRecruits.com, Posted 10/31/22

    CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. – Mara Furneri said her Yellow Jackets North-Williams squad never showed panic when it gave up a lead in its final game Sunday to Dark Horse (MD) in the Victory Events Fall Classic at the Proving Grounds.

    “Our success came from taking one play at a time,” she said. “In all three games we played as a team.”

    Furneri, an attack from Ridgefield (CT), scored the go-ahead goal and added an insurance tally late in the game to help YJN claim an 8-5 victory and cap a 3-0 afternoon to win the unofficial championship of the 2025 A Division.

    The Yellow Jackets had four different leads until Dark Horse (1-2) tied it, 5-5, with 8 minutes left on a man advantage. But Furneri scored with 5:45 to play and added another tally a minute later.

    “I think we worked well as a team, we connected well with our passes and there was no selfish play,” said attack Leyna Schnetzer (two goals) of School of the Holy Child (N.Y.). “Even when they tied it, we didn’t get down on ourselves. I felt that didn’t happen in the summer when we lost a lot of leads. This time we were keeping our strength the whole second half .”

    The Yellow Jackets also showed their poise in the final 4:30 by holding the ball the rest of the way, salting the clock before scoring in the final seconds.

    “We were tired but we stalled really well,” said Schnetzer. “We really hadn’t practiced that, so it was nice to see.”

    “We never gave up on rides and transitions,” said midfield/defender Haley Gilland of Ridgefield (CT). “We’d go into a double team and when we had the ball we looked for the open girl and pushed the fastbreak. And if we lost the ball, we stayed positive and got back on defense right away.”

    Also for the Yellow Jackets North, Kami Boniello (Fox Lane-NY), Sophia Collins (Canterbury School-CT), Kayla McCarthy (Hendrick Hudson-NY) and Charlotte Marion (Pelham Memorial-NY) each scored once.

    “Our ride really saved us today,” said Furneri. “I think today that worked to our benefit as opposed to our deficit as it had in the summer.”