Sussex Academy girls’ lacrosse celebrates successful senior class

An immensely successful Sussex Academy girls’ lacrosse senior class played its final regular-season home game May 2, earning an 18-3 victory over Ursuline.

“It was a great night for it to be our Senior Night; we all played together, we had a lot of fun out there, we put the pieces together and just really celebrated our last home game this regular season,” Savannah Montgomery said.

The game began with Shelby Manlove on the field for her final minutes as a Seahawk after the senior suffered a season-ending injury April 17 at Tower Hill. After the draw, the senior was subbed out to applause from both sides. What took place after was an offensive outburst Manlove surely would approve of.

Sophomore Liz Layton led all scorers with six points, getting four goals and two assists. Senior Emiley Bisaha notched a hat trick and also had an assist. Juniors Ellie Merrick and Shea Danahy each had two goals and one assist, while sophomore June Hale netted two goals and a save after taking over in goal for senior Morgan Leeper. 

Sisters Rilyn and Mady Lehman both scored while Lily Bisaha, Emiley’s sister, added another goal. Keeping the sibling scoring going, Montgomery notched an assist while her sister Brooklyn delighted the crowd with a goal. 

Sophomores Savannah Couch and Meredith Schiff each had a helper, and Schiff really pumped up her team with her first varsity goal. That led to a time-out so Leeper could play some offense while Hale was in the cage.

As the whistle blew, it put a ribbon on an outstanding defensive effort.

“Our defense, collectively, did a really good job holding them off,” Leeper said. “They have some really good, strong attackers, and I think how strong our defensive connection is really helped us push to the final score.”

That connection certainly helps them on the field, but it began away from the turf.

“We got to know each other outside of practice, too,” Montgomery said. “We've created that bond so we can play really well together on the field.”

Following the game, the seniors were showered with compliments and a few gallons of ice water.

“I've had all five of them since they were in eighth grade, and the growth that I've seen from every one of them has been remarkable and honestly, incomparable,” coach Taylor Gibbs said. “All five of them can contribute to our team, which is something you don't always see on teams. They're all very special; they’re going to be very hard to replace next year.” 

“It's obviously really sad because this is like a second family, but it's really exciting to think of our future adventures, and we can always come back and visit here,” Leeper said.

“I love everyone on this field; to celebrate with them tonight was really special,” Montgomery said.