Andrew Constant – Sports Writer

In a time when lacrosse is blowing up to a point where high schoolers are playing it year-round, Ridge High School head coach Barbara Erickson knew she had a challenge on her hands with the Red Devils this season. Not only was Erickson returning from a one year away from the girls lacrosse program, but she was dealing with a talented group of players that needed a bit of guidance to play as one, with team goals at the forefront.

“My main goal this year, with these kids playing club lactose and putting so much focus on the sport year-round, was to get everyone on the same page and playing together,” Erickson said. “The kids are looking to play in college, so they are showcasing themselves outside of school, so I had to bring them back in and get them on the same page. If you can’t do that, you don’t go very far.”

Ridge, with Erickson leading the way, went very far, winning the North Group IV title, went unbeaten in Somerset County contests and won its third straight county title, all while compiling a 19-4 record.

Erickson is the Courier News Coach of the Year.

“I didn’t know what to expect in my first year back,” Erickson said. “There’s a lot of talent on this squad and I tried to make the non-conference games tough for us so we would be prepared for the end of the season. It gave us confidence that we could play with the elite teams like that.”

The Red Devils, led by a host of juniors including four Courier News first-team performers, defeated Ridgewood for the North Group IV crown and Bridgewater-Raritan for the SCT title. They also knocked off rival North Hunterdon three times in 2014.

“Most of our juniors have been playing together on the varsity level for a few years now and moving forward to net year, they’re hungry to win. Sometimes they fade towards the end of the season, but this season, they were pushing themselves,” Erickson said. “They wanted to get better and they wanted to win.”

North Hunterdon’s Julia Wood, the 2014 Courier News Player of the Year. Photo by: Jason Towlen

When Julia Wood first started out in the girls lacrosse program at North Hunterdon High School four years ago, there was no way she thought she’d be a record-breaking midfielder that would go on to earn a Division I scholarship. But after 235 goals and 315 points in her four seasons with the Lions, Wood has earned both of those accomplishments with flying colors.

“Especially since my freshman campaign was not the best; I know it’s not all about goals, but I only had four of them,” Wood said. “But I think I’ve come a long way since then. I definitely didn’t expect all of this since freshman year.”

Wood, who netted 101 goals and 33 assists in leading North Hunterdon to a 19-4 record, a third straight Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament title and a berth in the North Group IV semifinals, is the Courier News Player of the Year.

“I’ve been lucky to coach her for the last four years and she’s one of those kids that she’ll take a hit and she’ll get right back up,” North Hunterdon head coach Stacy Ditze said.

This season, as the victories piled up, Wood eclipsed alumnus Alison Jaeger in two scoring categories in school history. With her 78th goal of the season on May 12, Wood passed Jaeger and her sister Caroline for the most goals in a single-season in school history, and when Wood notched goal No. 216, she went by Alison for most career goals for the Lions.

Wood was held to fewer than three goals only twice this season, and scored seven goals on three different occasions. But her finest moment may have come in the North Group IV quarterfinals, against Bridgewater-Raritan. Wood poured in seven goals and added two assists, lifting the Lions to an overtime victory and a third meeting of the year against rival Ridge.

“Honestly, I’ll of course remember the H/W/S Championships, but this year, our game against Bridgewater in states, when we went into overtime is the one I’ll always remember,” she said. “We came back, then they came back, they tied it up and we won in overtime and that game will always stick out to me.”

After registering just nine points as a freshman — she only appeared in seven games — Wood became a wrecking ball, scoring 70, 60 and this season 101 goals, vaulting her up the all-time record book at North Hunterdon. In what seemed like a simple advancement, Wood said she just got more comfortable with her teammates and on the field, which led to the higher scoring outputs and even more Lions’ victories.

“She came out confident as a freshman, in my eye,” Ditze said. “But for me, the thing she improved on most was her game-sense; she understood when to shoot or pass or hold the ball and she was able to lead us with that sense. She really came up clutch for us a lot and she’s an all-around player that did what it took for us to win.”

Next season Wood will be suiting up for the University of Louisville — a program that set a school-record for wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time — along with fellow Courier News first-teamer Jillian Balog. The bond they’ve shared since seventh grade, playing on T3 Lacrosse teams, is something Wood is really looking forward to continuing as collegians, even if she’ll be back at the bottom of the totem pole as a freshman, just as she was four seasons ago.

“I think going into next year, into a D-I program, I just need to remember that I am a freshman and even if I don’t play at all, I have to keep my confidence up and I think my turn will come with hard work,” Wood said. “Playing with Jillian is going to be great; I love playing with her. We went to camps together, so I’m really excited to play with her in college.”

The 2014 Courier News Girls Lacrosse 1st Team All-Area performers. Photo by: Jason Towlen

2014 ALL-AREA GIRLS LACROSSE

Attack — Jillian Balog, New Providence, Sr.

Balog, the leading scorer in the history of New Providence girls lacrosse, scored 54 goals this year and finished with 183 for her career. She’ll play at Louisville next season.

Attack — Elizabeth Behrins, Ridge, Jr.

Behrins, one of two players for Ridge to total 95 points this season, netted 56 goals and a team-high 39 assists and registered 11 hat tricks this year.

Attack — Devon Brown, Ridge, Jr.

Brown posted 58 goals and added 37 assists, for a team-best 95 points. She netted 21 of her goals in postseason contests, including nine in the Somerset County Tournament.

Attack — Erika Cavallo, Hillsborough, Sr.

Cavallo netted 75 goals to go with 28 assists and finished her career with 208 goals and 260 points. She’ll play collegiately at Towson University next year.

Midfield — Allison Lane, North Hunterdon, Sr.

Lane, the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament MVP won 128 draws with her height advantage and totaled 90 goals and 119 points for the Lions and will play at Marquette.

Midfield — Ally Mastroianni, Bridgewater-Raritan, Fr.

Mastroianni burst onto the scene with 97 goals and 158 points, good for second-most in the state. The freshman phenom also controlled 133 draws for the youthful Panthers.

Midfield — Dakota Pastore, Somerville, Jr.

Pastore, who was the state’s second-leading scorer, has already set Somerville records. With 128 goals and 30 assists this year, she is up to 299 goals and 411 points for her career.

Midfield — Annie Pearson, Ridge, Jr.

Pearson, noted as Ridge’s unsung hero by coach Barbara Erickson, scored 29 goals, scooped up 86 groundballs, controlled 66 draws and forced 42 turnovers.

Midfield — Julia Wood, North Hunterdon, Sr.

Wood, the Courier News Player of the Year, broke multiple school records with a 101-goal, 32-assist campaign that pushed her points total to a North Hunterdon-best 312 in four seasons.

Defense — Lauren D’Amico, Westfield, Jr.

D’Amico helped lead Westfield to the brink of the Union County title, racking up 57 draw controls and matching up with opponent’s top-scorers.

Defense — Callie Dewitt, Ridge, Jr.

Dewitt a clutch lockdown defender for the Red Devils, anchored Ridge to the SCT title and a berth in the Group IV Final. She finished with 38 groundballs and 33 caused turnovers.

Defense — Emily Howarth, Bridgewater-Raritan, Jr.

Howarth won 48 draws and scored 12 goals to go with her usual steady defense, locking horns with No. 1 scorers and helping lead a very young Panthers squad.

Goalie — Madison Martino, North Hunterdon, Sr.

Martino averaged nearly eight saves per game and backstopped the Lions to the HWST title and the semifinals of the North IV tournament.

Goalie — Mallory Weisse, Westfield, Jr.

Weisse, a true anchor for the Blue Devils, made 578 saves as Westfield has turned its program around from 5-13 two years ago into a sleeping giant in Union County.