Rumson Redemption: Bulldogs Knock Off Trinity Hall in Game of the Year

OCEANPORT — Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Amy O’Keefe issued a warning after the Bulldogs’ win over Manasquan in the Shore Conference quarterfinals last Saturday: “If you beat us, great. But we’re going to get you when it counts the most.” On Tuesday night, her team delivered on that promise.

In what may go down as the game of the year in Shore Conference girls lacrosse, Rumson-Fair Haven avenged its earlier defeat with a dramatic 9-8 victory over Trinity Hall, punching its ticket back to the Shore Conference Championship game on Thursday against Red Bank.

Unlike the first meeting between the two teams, the Bulldogs wasted no time asserting themselves offensively. Junior midfielder Aly Megaw opened the scoring with 9:55 remaining in the first quarter, and just 34 seconds later senior defender Maddie DeSena raced coast-to-coast for another goal to give Rumson an early 2-0 advantage. Trinity Hall responded with a goal from junior midfielder Chiara Donohue, but Chloe Kelly answered late in the quarter to restore momentum and send the Bulldogs into the second leading 3-1.

Rumson appeared poised to pull away in the second quarter. Megaw added her second goal of the night, while senior attacker Reagan Haley found the back of the net to extend the lead to 5-1 with 7:14 remaining in the half. Trinity Hall, however, refused to fold. Goals from senior attacker Sands Webber, sophomore attacker Sarina Derosa, and sophomore midfielder Lyla Lu in the closing minute cut the deficit to 5-4 heading into halftime. Donohue then tied the game early in the second half, completing the Monarchs’ comeback effort.

With momentum shifting, Megaw delivered one of the defining stretches of the game. The junior scored back-to-back goals to push the Bulldogs back in front by two entering the fourth quarter. Trinity Hall answered again behind another goal from Lu before Donohue tied the game at 7-7 with 10:34 remaining.

That was when Kelly took over.

The Ohio State commit once again proved why she has a reputation as one of the state’s most clutch performers. Kelly scored twice in a 58-second span, giving Rumson-Fair Haven the cushion it needed to survive a late push from Trinity Hall. Lu added another goal for the Monarchs, but the Bulldogs held on for the victory.

Rumson’s win was fueled by contributions across the field. Junior goalie Sydney Kiernan was outstanding in net, finishing with nine saves, while DeSena played a major role defensively in addition to scoring her third goal of the season.

“We knew Maddie could do that,” O’Keefe said about DeSena’s goal. “I’m really happy for her.”

O’Keefe was equally impressed with DeSena’s defensive performance.

“Maddie was so sick today on 1 v 1’s,” said O’Keefe. “Her on-ball defense was really great today.”

For DeSena, a senior who has been a cornerstone of the RFH program, the victory carried special meaning.

“I cried when the game finished,” said DeSena. “It’s always a battle with Trinity, and winning this will be the best memory of my senior year.”

Megaw’s four-goal performance was equally instrumental. The Colorado commit stepped up in one of the biggest games of the season and delivered timely goals throughout the night.

“Before this game I knew a lot of the girls on Trinity were legit players going to awesome places,” said Megaw. “But I really locked in, I wanted this a lot.”

“Aly had a big game for us,” O’Keefe added. “Her scores were crucial for us.”

Kelly continued her outstanding Shore Conference Tournament run with another hat-trick performance after recording 10 points in the previous round. The junior now has 53 goals and 22 assists this season.

“I had to lock in, especially when it became tight,” said Kelly.

“I look to Chloe to take control,” O’Keefe added.

Another major factor in the victory was the defensive effort of junior Harbour Goldsmith, who drew the unenviable task of defending Donohue, the most dynamic scorer in the Shore Conference. Goldsmith helped limit Donohue to three goals — her lowest total in a full game this season — while consistently disrupting Trinity Hall’s offensive sets.

“She is one of the best players I have ever played against,” said Goldsmith. “But I told myself I’m just as good and I can defend her.”

“I’m so proud of Harbour,” said O’Keefe. “She shut off Chiara.”

With the win, Rumson-Fair Haven returns to the Shore Conference Championship game after what players described as a motivating postseason seeding process. The Bulldogs clearly embraced the underdog role throughout the tournament.

“Whoever did the seeding, they just got it wrong,” said Megaw. “This is a team willing to fight for anything, you can keep doubting us, but we’re coming back for every single team.”

“I always want our teams to be tough,” said O’Keefe. “Some of our losses this year were unfortunate, but the takeaways from those losses carried us into today.”

Now, the focus shifts to Thursday and an opportunity to prove themselves as Shore Conference champions. One thing is certain: the Bulldogs are hungry for more.