Led once again by their talented seniors, San Jose Extreme Force defeated rival Burlingame Coyotes, 16-5, to win the championship of the Northern California Junior Lacrosse Association high school club division in a tournament on May 16 at Pioneer High School.
The victory ended an 18-1 season in which the Extreme was undefeated in league play for the fourth straight year. Guided by seventh-year Coach Jessica Paige, the Force is one of the Extreme’s two high school teams.
Kristen Wandryk, a sophomore at Mountain View High, was the high scorer with four goals. Natalie Bonnepart, a senior from Gunderson High, netted three; Molly Fensterwald, a senior at Presentation High, had two, as did Christina Horimoto, a senior at Leland High and Julia Saper, a senior at Gunn High. Caitlin Jordan, a senior from Los Altos High, scored one goal, as did two freshmen at St. Francis High: Taylor Kotas and Haley Libuit.
Katie Hubbert, a junior at Presentation, had a game-high three assists. Vanessa Royle, a senior at Presentation who plays center midfield, dominated the face-offs, a key aspect of the game. Goalie Kat Frazer, a senior at St. Francis, netted five saves.
In the semi-final game, the Extreme pulled away in the second half to defeat Casa Grande High of Petaluma, 14-7. Vanessa Royle and Kristin Wandryk each led with three goals; Molly Fensterwald, Natalie Bonnepart and Katie Hubbert each had two; Taylor Kotas and Haley Libuit had one apiece.
The NCJLA consists of teams whose high schools do not offer lacrosse as a varsity sport. The Force consists of girls from a dozen high schools in San Jose and the South Bay. Some of the Force have played together since the club was founded in 2002.
The Force ended the season ranked sixth among dozens of high school teams in California by LaxPower – an impressive achievement.
Way to go, Ladies! You make us proud.
