SUMMIT, NJ — Last year, the Summit High School girls lacrosse team finished 23-2, after capturing what would be the final Tournament of Champions championship by beating in-town arch rival Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child.
Almost the same exact script as last year was produced this spring season by the Hilltoppers. Summit lost only to a team from the state of Connecticut, beat Oak Knoll in the regular season, lost to Oak Knoll in the Union County Tournament championship game, and then ended up winning the Group 2 state championship.
The only real difference this year was that Summit finished 20-2 instead of 23-2. There was no TOC to follow.
That was OK. Summit still proved to be, arguably, the best program in the state of New Jersey once again. Head coach Mike Walsh’s team finished ranked No. 1 in the final nj.com Top 20 poll.
Leading the Hilltoppers, named Team of the Year in New Jersey by nj.com last month, to continued success was the foursome of seniors Lily Spinner, Cecilia Webb, and Jane Freeman, and junior Lauren Riley.
Earlier this month, all four earned All-America status from USA Lacrosse.
USA Lacrosse All-Americans are described as “a player who exhibits superior skills and techniques and possesses exceptional game sense and knowledge. A USA Lacrosse All-America selection is one of the best players in the United States, while also embodying excellent sportsmanship.”
Spinner and Freeman, attack; Webb, defense; and Riley, midfield; were four of 16 girls from North Jersey that were named All-Americans. One of the others was Oak Knoll senior attack Darby Campbell.
Spinner was one of the state’s most prolific scorers, leading Summit in goals scored with 58, points with 94 and ground balls with 46. Spinner was second in assists with 36. Fellow junior attack standout Anya Wardle was first in assists with 69.
In the Group 2 final 13-4 win against Haddonfield Memorial High School at Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Spinner produced two goals and assisted on three others for a team-leading five points.
Freeman was also outstanding for the Hilltoppers, scoring 31 goals and assisting on 25 others for 56 points. She also came up with 23 ground balls.
Riley was third on the team in goals with 39 and adding two assists finished with 41 points. She also had 31 ground balls, third on the team.
Kate Riley, junior attack, was second on the team in goals with 42, to go with five assists and had 47 points.
Webb had two assists for two points and finished with 20 ground balls.
Wardle finished with a second-best 89 points on 20 goals and her team-leading 69 assists. She also had the second-most ground balls with 32.
Campbell for Oak Knoll, which finished 18-4, was second on her team in goals with 60, second in assists with 29 and also second in points with 89.
Junior attack Sophia Loschert was first in goals with 89 and first in points with 105, while senior attack Charlotte Sutton was first in assists with 32.
Summit lost to Sacred Heart, Conn., 12-11 on Sunday, April 9, and then after winning at Oak Knoll 10-8 on Friday, April 14, lost to the Royals 9-6 on Tuesday, May 9, in the UCT final.
The Hilltoppers then closed with a season-high 10-game winning streak that saw them yield no more than nine goals in any of the victories.
Walsh has now guided Summit to five seasons of at least 20 wins during his 11-season tenure that began in 2012 and does not include no games played in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s Summit’s record with Walsh:
2012: 14-5
2013: 18-5
2014: 21-2
2015: 20-5
2016: 24-1
2017: 19-3
2018: 18-4
2019: 15-4
2021: 18-3
2022: 23-2
2023: 20-2
Totals: 210-36
The 2016 team only lost to a team from Virginia after starting 11-0. Summit closed with a 13-game winning streak that season. The Hilltoppers defeated Ridgewood High School 11-10 in overtime in the TOC final.
Summit that year was UCT, Group 3 and TOC champ for the first time in the same season.