PELHAM MANOR – Arden Keough maneuvered through the defense, quickly breaching the 12-meter fan, while Parker Koupal pivoted to her left and created space on a crease roll. Without a second of hesitation, Keough whipped a pass toward her teammate on the move, and before the ball could even settle into the pocket of her stick, it was being flipped into the netting of the goal.
That sequence put on display the natural chemistry, instinctive spontaneity and coordination of the Pelham girls lacrosse team.
Sure, the one-timer was nice. But the real action was on the sideline.
As the play was unfolding, teammates already had the music cued up, soon to boom from a portable speaker, and the goal being signaled was their prompt to begin dancing. Koupal knew to look toward her bench after scoring because that group would be grooving.
“The bench party is where it’s at!” coach Kaleigh Howe said with a grin.
It’s their norm during home games. Each player has a snippet of a signature song played in celebration of their goals, and teammates break into a jig that seems uniformed.
“We have a couple designated dances, but most of them we just make up in the moment,” said Koupal, who had five goals and an assist in the May 2 game. “One person will start it with a couple moves and everyone knows how to follow.”
There was plenty of that as the Pelicans rolled to a 21-7 win over Minisink Valley at Glover Field. “That” being the precise passing and unselfishness, along with the unrelenting desire to hype each other up.
The non-league victory was meaningful because the Warriors beat Pelham last April before going on to capture the Section 9 Class B championship. That the Pelicans could flip the script so drastically is indicative of their growth, and it offered a glimpse at how potent this team can be.
A course in organic chemistry
“We’ve got 14 seniors and that definitely helps in terms of leadership and us being close,” said Keough, a senior committed to Lafayette. “We’ve also got a lot of really talented underclassmen. That combination, I think, is why we’re maybe having our best season.”
This program doesn’t have a rich lacrosse history, but it’s been steadily building, and those seniors remember well when winning a handful of games was considered significant for them. But in three seasons, the Pelicans have ascended from an afterthought to a section title contender.
Pelham had its most successful run last spring, reaching the Section 1 semifinals. They’re on pace now to have a better regular season, and this group could realistically be expected to take another step in the Class C playoffs.
That thumping of Minisink Valley was the Pelicans’ eighth consecutive win. Their offense is clicking, and that’s obviously grabbed attention, but the defense has also flourished during this stretch and sophomore goalie Scarlett Gristina has gained confidence.
“We’ve worked very well together,” Howe said. “It’s an understanding that we don’t have one star; it’s a collective effort and everybody is sharing the ball. And our defense has been top-notch, from the attack on down.”
‘Beat them all’
Emblazoned on the back of their warmup shirts is that three-word slogan, a reminder to the group that they are among the elite local teams and the objective isn’t just to be “pretty good.”
“We’re off to the best start we’ve had and we’re becoming more confident,” Koupal said of her team, which has won 10 of its first dozen games. “We need to have that mindset that we can beat anyone.”
Now, the Pelicans did drop two early-season games, losing to Rye and allowing Rye Country Day School to rally for a late comeback win. Granted, those are two of the better teams in the area.
“We’ve definitely improved since then,” sophomore Brooke Green said of their progress in the last month. “Defensively, we’re sharper and realize more of the things we need to do to hold onto a lead. Offensively, we know how important it is to (sustain) it, and not just get off to a good start and then fall off.”
During the win streak, Pelham outscored opponents by an average margin of 11.4 goals per game, and that includes some notable wins including Bronxville and Ursuline.
Of course, the difficulty kicks up a few notches as the Pelicans will close their regular season next week with games against Yorktown and Pleasantville, two other section title favorites who’ve dominated. And powerhouse Rye potentially looms in the postseason.
“That,” Keough said, “will be good for us. We want to be tested and really have to fight against some great teams before going into the playoffs.”
Nevertheless, the growth they’ve already shown is remarkable. And some of that can be attributed to Green’s emergence as their leading scorer. The basketball standout has improved her lacrosse skills considerably, and her 6-foot frame and athleticism create physical mismatch inside 8 meters.
“It’s moreso my teammates knowing when and how to take advantage of my strengths,” Green insisted. “They’re getting me in good positions to make plays and we’re playing off each other. When the ball comes to me, you’ll see them cutting and getting open, creating opportunities.”
Green, Koupal and Alex Dolen have produced consistently up front, and Keough is complimented nicely in the midfield by sophomore Colleen Sheehy, the two excelling defensively and as capable facilitators and finishers on offense.
Jolie Morselli, Caitlin McGovern and Riley Campbell anchor an aggressive defense. That unit has the speed and lateral quickness to stick with cutters, the savvy to read an offense, and the willingness to challenge shots. Campbell, a sophomore, forced three turnovers against Minisink Valley.
They’ve also gotten plenty of contributions from Ella Klossner, Maggie Memoli, Ava Orlando, Lila To, Hannah Kindig and others, demonstrating the quality of their depth.
And despite all that, Howe insisted, “we’re nowhere near our peak yet.”
“People sleep on Pelham, but there’s a lot of potential here, and we’re still trying to reach that,” the coach continued. “We’re not where we need to be yet for the playoffs, but we’re working toward it.”
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Talented, experienced Pelham emerges as girls lacrosse contender
Reporting by Stephen Haynes, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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