FAST FINISH: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Allison Lee races upfield in recent action. On May 20, star midfielder and Williams College commit Lee tallied five goals and one assist on the program’s Senior Day to help Stuart edge Lawrence High 12-11. Last Wednesday, Lee scored four goals as the Tartans defeated the Wilberforce School 10-7 to end the season with a 6-10 record. Lee tallied 81 goals this spring to bring her career total to a program-record 335. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Allison Lee experienced a roller-coaster ride as she celebrated her Senior Day for the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team last week.
Before the May 20 contest against visiting Lawrence High, Lee and her fellow seniors, Emily Harlan, Maya Dev, Lola Lopez-Spencer, Elise Hwang, and Annarose Bourgoin, were honored.
“It is kind of crazy that it is already here, I remember my freshman year of lacrosse and it goes very fast,” said senior star midfielder Lee, reflecting on the pregame ceremony. “There are just so many emotions, some sadness but just excitement to play again with all of my friends.”
Fueled by that emotion, Stuart jumped out to a 4-0 lead with Lee scoring one goal in the run. Lawrence, though, outscored the Tartans 10-3 over the next two quarters to seize momentum.
“We started off really well, we had a little bit of a lull,” said Lee.
In the third quarter, Lee hit a roadblock, limping off the field with a leg injury. She was treated by the trainer and got her leg iced, apparently finished for the day.
But with Stuart trailing 10-7 midway through the fourth quarter, a gimpy Lee returned to the contest.
“I was like I have to get back in and finish it out,” said Lee.
Sparked by Lee’s presence, Stuart rallied to pull out a dramatic 12-11 win as fellow senior Harlan scored the winning goal with 3.1 seconds left in regulation.
Lee tallied a goal that knotted the contest at 11-11.
“I just know that they were a man down and I could keep it in the middle of the eight and it would be hard for them to stop it,” said Lee, who ended up with five goals and one assist in the win.
With Stuart having lost 15-12 to Pennington before edging Immaculata 12-11 in its previous two contests, the squad has grown accustomed to tight contests.
“We have definitely had a lot of close games, especially the last few games,” said Lee. “They have been exciting wins.”
A day later, Lee came through in another exciting win, scoring four goals as the Tartans defeated the Wilberforce School 10-7 to end the spring with a 6-10 record. Lee tallied 81 goals this season to bring her career total to a program-record 335.
“It is such an honor, especially to it with all of these girls,” said Lee, reflecting on her record-breaking career. “I really could not have done it without them and all of the people who came before me as well. I am just really privileged to play with this team.”
Playing with her younger sister, sophomore standout Lauren, has been a privilege for Lee.
“It has been amazing, it has been so fun,” said Lee. “It is awesome that we have that chemistry together. It is going to be the last time that I get to play with her. We work really well together with each other, we communicate well. I think that translates to the rest of the team.”
Lee will be joining a new team this fall as she has committed to attend Williams College and played for its women’s lacrosse program.
“I was looking at a bunch of NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) schools, they are all amazing programs,” said Lee. “At Williams, when I stepped on campus everyone was so friendly and kind. It was the kindness.”
Stuart head coach Paige Meszaros credited her seniors with stepping up over their time with the program.
“They are the best, three of them that were captains last year, Allison, Emily, and Maya, and then coming back this year, they have helped me out so much,” said Meszaros.
Lee has been a huge help to the program with her production and leadership.
“She is so much fun to watch,” said Meszaros of Lee. “That last goal she scored where she hit the top off the pipe and down, Missy [Bruvik] and I just looked at each other and we were wow. Her presence on the field makes a big difference. The girls all really look up to her. She is a good role model for them. Her and Lauren both will talk the girls through a lot of things.”
With the Tartans having been outscored 6-1 by Lawrence in the third quarter, there were some things to talk through heading into the final 12 minutes of the contest.
“It was just that we have to pick it up, we become complacent once we are up and the others teams chip away, chip away and come back,” said Meszaros. “We then had to do that. They do a great job with that when we are down. We even do better when we are man down. We are better in the face of adversity.”
Meszaros was excited to see Harlan pick up the winning tally.
“What a picture perfect ending there for a senior to score that goal with seconds to go,” said Meszaros of Harlan, who had two goals and one assists in the victory. “She has been a great help down there too, she is one of our low attackers. She has been great, strong with the ball.”
With Stuart ending the season on a three-game winning streak, Meszaros has seen some great progress down the stretch from her squad.
“I would say our transition coming down and then on defense we have been doing a lot better job riding all the way through,” said Meszaros. “It is also playing in the midfield area; we really struggled with that earlier and teams would just be running by us and there were easy goals. A lot of the girls have played now and this is their second year playing together. They have been getting to learn each other better and who is going where. Our plays are working more. It has really been cool to see the growth as a team and as players.”
A number of players have shown growth down the stretch.
“Najima Tahiri on defense and having Annarose [Bourgoin] back there too and Lola [Lopez-Spencer], she is very athletic,” said Meszaros. “They have done a really wonderful job. Our middies, Abby [Chirik] and Lauren [Lee], are just really great athletes.”
Guiding the Tartans this spring has been a great experience for Meszaros.
“They are great athletes and they are also really great kids,” said Meszaros. “They are really fun to coach.”
Lee, for her part, credits her success to the great support she has received from her teammates.
“Everything I was able to accomplish we were able to accomplish as a team,” said Lee. “It is just such a testament to Stuart itself; the people you see out here and when you walk the halls, everyone is just so genuine and kind. They are just willing to help people out, everyone here wants you to succeed. We have all pushed each other so much and I have just seen so much growth over the years.”