Phil Anastasia: Lacrosse is born in Haddonfield

Every few years, a basketball or soccer or field hockey team will wear warm-up shirts with a cool slogan on the back: "Tradition Never Graduates."

It's a reminder of the chain that links today's players with yesterday's players, this generation with that generation, the present with the future with the past.

But only one team can be first.

"It's kind of cool," Haddonfield sophomore Alexandra Marshall was saying yesterday, standing in the rain at Scout Field and looking back all of 15 minutes to the first varsity lacrosse game in the history of the program.

Someday - and that day might not be that far away - Haddonfield likely will be an established power in girls' lacrosse, with championship banners hanging in the gymnasium and hardware in the trophy case and a tradition to pass from seniors to freshmen.

Someday, a season opener against a young, rebuilding team such as Eastern might be just another game for the Bulldogs.

Someday, the players, coaches and fans might be able to look back as well as forward.

But right now there's only one direction for Haddonfield: Into the future.

"I told them they are setting the tone for the future of the program," Haddonfield coach Jess Blake said after the Bulldogs' 16-12 loss to Eastern. "They have to make some noise. They have to let other programs know that we're here and we're going to be a challenge to beat."

It was a great game between a pair of young teams. Haddonfield jumped in front as Meaghan McLaughlin scored the first goal in the history of the program just 39 seconds into the game, and the Bulldogs had a 5-4 lead at halftime.

"I think we had some first-game jitters," said Eastern first-year coach Lauren Ferrara, whose young roster includes just six seniors and four juniors. "We were playing like we had lead in our feet. But we settled down and played much better in the second half."

Eastern gained its bearings behind seniors Carlie Rouh and Alexa Lodovici, who combined for eight goals. But Haddonfield, with zero seniors and just two juniors on the field, battled to the end, scoring two goals in the final 19 seconds.

"We didn't quit," Blake said. "We showed a lot of heart the last five minutes. We have to put together a whole 50 minutes."

It will be a work in progress. But with a talented young players such as Marshall and freshman Maddie Kiep, who each scored three goals, the outline of an emerging program was visible through the rain in the first game.

"It's so great to see," said Ferrara, who was a standout player at Shawnee. "They're athletes, you can see that already. And Haddonfield is so good in everything. They'll be great in lacrosse, and it'll be a breeding ground in the town."

The sport is so popular at Haddonfield that the Bulldogs had around 35 players in uniform for yesterday's varsity and junior varsity doubleheader.

And that's not counting a full freshman team. And behind the high school kids is a gathering army of lacrosse players in the middle school, and even among younger players.

"I started in seventh grade, but a lot of kids are playing in third or fourth grade now," Marshall said. "It's big in town."

Blake, who played at Camden Catholic and St. Joseph's University, expects Haddonfield to be a South Jersey power within three years.

"That's our expectation," Blake said. "We're going to have some growing pains. But I think that in our third year, we should be competing with the best teams in South Jersey."

The sport's not going anywhere. Someday in the distant future, Haddonfield girls' lacrosse likely will be a tradition-rich program such as Haddonfield girls' soccer or tennis or swimming.

Someday, Haddonfield girls' lacrosse players might even don warm-up shirts that remind folks that "Tradition Never Graduates."

And some old-timers might even remember that it all began on a wet Wednesday afternoon in 2009.

Eastern 4 12 - 16

Haddonfield 5 7 - 12

E: Carlie Rouh 6, Serena Hitchens 3, Cori Allen 2, Alexa Lodovici 2, Kerri Aiken, Sydney Cetrullo, Mariel Papa.

H: Alex Marshall 3, Maddie Kiep 3, Meaghan McLaughlin 2, Lindsay Brophy 2, Caroline Pease, Danielle Jordan.

Saves: E–Brittany Buckley 9. H–Sarah Meeter 9.