The PDS Varsity Girls’ lacrosse team continues to build on their legacy, consistently being a team to watch. The 2022 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, Non-Public, Group B champions, have carried on their past success with wins against the Hun School, Somerville High School, Notre Dame High School, as well as many others, through the direction of Head Coach Tracy Young. With strong, skilled seniors Sophie Jaffe, Paige Gardner, Leigh Hillmanno, and Arden Bogle—who all plan to continue to play lacrosse in college—the team has leadership and connection. Junior Tessa Caputo, a player who has reached one hundred career goals, continues to deliver as well and has created many scoring opportunities throughout the season. 

An example of the team’s connection and energy came during the Panthers’ first matchup against Peddie, which culminated in a 14–9 win. With Jaffe scoring five goals and Fairfield University commit Gardner scoring 4, the team was able to come up on top thanks to two star players with over one hundred goals in their high school careers. Sophomore Shelby Ruf noted, “Peddie was a good team, and we also had difficulties with the refs. We were able to overcome, though, and look past the things we could not control.” Despite difficult circumstances, the team secured the win. 

In a tough loss against the Lawrenceville School, PDS lost 16–6. Sophomore Natalia Soffer shared, “It was definitely one of the most challenging games that we have had.” Soffer had one of the six goals in the game against the Big Red team. The team also defeated Notre Dame, doing so in the last seconds of the game. Ruf continued, “We had been down, but then we scored, thanks to Sophie Jaffe, in the last thirty seconds of the game.” Jaffe, committed to play lacrosse at Haverford College in the fall, has scored 43 goals this season, playing a vital role in the Panthers’ offense. 

Ruf also added that through the help of sophomore defender Eliza Bailey, many offensive opportunities for Notre Dame were shut down. “She came in during the middle of the game and shut down one of their best players around the crease.” Ruf also makes up part of the strong defense, along with Hillmano, a Smith College commit, and veteran goalie Arden Bogle. Bogle, with 256 total career saves, is constantly one of the key factors in the success of the team, especially in close games, like Notre Dame. The starting goalie plans to continue playing lacrosse next year at the Division I level at George Washington University. 

With promising young players and experienced upperclassmen, the PDS Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse team continues to connect as a team to make a strong showing on the field.