In a girls’ lacrosse matchup tilted in pace and skill, Pine Bush set the tempo in spite of Wallkill’s upfield speed. The Bushmen’s 16-0 win followed a dominant season-opening performance.

Olivia Januario perched behind the Panther goalkeeper, each cradle of her stick counting seconds until her next move. Teammates jostled for position. Januario traveled the newly opened lane to earn the eighth Bushman goal. Such displays of lacrosse IQ and split-second decisions underscored the Pine Bush victory.

“It [this win] allows us to take a look at ourselves first, but also celebrate the good things we did, like unselfish plays and having that balance on both ends of the field. It shows us what we need to work on, because we had girls in different positions, but we also had girls getting opportunities in those positions that we normally wouldn’t,” said Pine Bush coach Samantha Swartz.

Pine Bush outpaced the Panthers, powered by 4 goals and 1 assist by Lyla Vitale. Vitale also controlled 6 draws to keep her team’s possession.

Madeline Doyle added 3 goals. Runs by Angelica Marino, Rory Cafarella, and Haylee Presto wheeled Wallkill to the Bushman half, but none could break past Karlee Blauvet and the tough defensive line in front of her. Jessica Avila controlled 2 draws for Wallkill.

A plethora of seniors lead the Bushmen, with captains Kathryn Cragan and Julia Tanner at the head of the charge. And on the back line, defenseman Ally Pierpont and the defensive line turned stops into scores.

When Wallkill came upfield in a flash, a reactive Bushmen defense promptly stopped the push. Pine Bush struck before Wallkill could make its next move; the team’s ensuing goal sparked by the defensive stand. And an especially amped Shwartz let her back line know it from the sideline.

“They (Wallkill) definitely have a lot of speed, so it was incumbent on our middies to slow them down, and we held them on defense, which we really love to see our defense working as a strong unit together,” added Shwartz, crediting cohesiveness across the field for the strong performance against the Panthers.

Wallkill goalkeeper Sky Gallentine kept the Panthers in the game early, staying ready and sacrificing her body when called for. Each Bushmen swarm of Gallentine’s goal stood her stronger, and Gallentine finished the night with 12 saves. Where penalties troubled Wallkill early, Gallentine stopped two of three free runs awarded in the first quarter. Cragan netted the first of 3 goals on the night to put Pine Bush ahead 2-0 on the free shot.

Wallkill showcased a sportsmanship that officials and spectators across the conference note each season. Knotted at nil or down a dozen, the girls played each minute as hard as the last. The effort lasted through the final buzzer, as coach Richard Daubel adjusted the Panther lines in the second half. Where areas of practice fell short in the opening competition, the Panthers have a full season ahead of them to learn and appreciate the process.

“We have to keep the ball in the stick. It starts with that. They’re giving everything they have, and if we can do that every game regardless of what’s going on, stay positive and have fun for the season, it’s going to happen,” said Daubel.

Both teams continue the early season on the road. Pine Bush takes on Minisink Valley at 4:30 p.m. on April 7. Wallkill takes on Burke/Chester at 4:30 p.m. on April 9.