Molly Gallagher Wall isn’t Enough to Beat Lakeland Again

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Two weeks ago, John Jay traveled to Lakeland to possibly face another loss against the 15 time defending Section One Champs. Instead, Molly Gallagher put up 19 saves, and the Wolves earned their first ever victory versus the Hornets. So with the rematch on Saturday October 5, Gallagher gave Lakeland fits again. But this time there was a blemish, and one was all it took.

Ten saves on 11 on shots, the discrepancy proved the margin of victory in John Jay’s 1-0 loss.

So did the offensive pressure, and this was the case even when John Jay managed a possession change. At 11 minutes, Jane Brennan tried to take the free pass forward, and Gabriella Santini stepped in with the steal. She then took a shot from the right, and Riley Waters just missed the tip to the left of Gallagher.

The ball to John Jay wasn’t much help either. Lakeland simply converged at midfield, resumed the offensive pressure, and the scenario kept playing out.

That left Gabriella Santini with the near miss pass again. She wound up from the left, her low projectile had Waters reaching with the tip, and the ball popped up over the crossbar at 9:03.

No offense the other way, Lakeland was back in business with a penalty corner at 7:30. Playing the ball back to the 30, the shot came from left, and Gallagher slid in safely with the save.

In response, Finja Degl did get a little space on the sideline, but her long pass downfield had plenty of Hornets. The intercept made, Lakeland ended the quarter with a pair of penalty corners, which had the Jane Brennan Jojo Deg, Finja Degl led defense packing up pretty well themselves.

Of course, the offensive onslaught continued in the second and began with Gabriella Santini. The forward did a 360 on the pass, and her tee shot had Gallagher diving across the crease for the save at 13:30.

More of the same on the way, John Jay did finally get up the field on a Finja Degl interception. The sophomore passed ahead to Kaycie Keeley, and she went the length before the whistle yielded a free shot. At the 20, the captain fired away, but the shot went in from beyond the circle with six minutes left in the half.

Three minutes later, John Jay got in deep again. But Sophia Shaw could not get a stick on the sideline free pass to the middle, and then came the best opportunity of the day.

Jane Brennan stepped in with the pick and quickly passed down the sideline. Shaw gave chase to the corner, flipped to Keeley, and she hit the side of the box with 45 seconds left in the half.

On to the third, Gallagher really started to earn her pay. Off the penalty corner, Aditi Parambath took the shot, and the kick save bounced in front, where Gallagher refused to yield on the scrum.

Sarah Swiderski finally cleared out the crease but not the zone. No problem, Gallagher had another kick save, and the scoreboard remained baren.

More work to do, Gallagher won another traffic jam with seven minutes to go in the third. The penalty corner coming into Gabriella Goldstein in the middle, Gallagher got her leg in and then had a little help behind her on the rebound. Shaw made the stop on the goal line, and John Jay was still living to tell.

Gallagher wasn’t done speaking up either. At five minutes, she put her foot on Gianna Santini’s penalty corner, and a minute later, Gallagher was on Parambath’s attempted tip-in. No mood for a rebound, Gallagher slid hard into the loose ball, and she was free for the moment.

About a minute to be accurate, Gallagher had the hop at 3:30. Santini’s sidewinder took a funny bounce, and the Wolf was there with the adjustment.

The tie upholding into the fourth, John Jay kept at it after Lakeland hit the box outside the circle. Jojo Degl sent the free pass to a well defended Shaw, and she willed herself through the double team. Ahead to Keeley, the senior got to the goal line, and forced a penalty corner.

Rewarded with the incoming pass, Keeley fired wide of the Lakeland goalie, who came out to cut down the angle. That left Finja Degl all alone on the goal line with the ball, but Jenna Yazzetti was able to dive back to smother the play.

12 minutes remaining, Lakeland was destined to break through, and six minutes later the wall fell. Another penalty corner, Gianna Santini received the inbound, shot toward the goal, and Gabriella Santini tip in on the sister act.

Enough to take the day, Lakeland evened the season series. But if the Hornets hope to win deal breaker in the sectionals, they know that it starts with Molly Gallagher.