SPECIAL DAY: Stuart Country Day School lacrosse player Catherine Martin, right, heads to goal last Friday against Gill St. Bernard’s. Rising to the occasion on her Senior Day, co-captain and attacker/midfielder Martin tallied a career-high seven goals to spark Stuart as it battled valiantly before falling 16-12 to Gill. The Tartans, who lost 11-8 to East Brunswick last Monday in moving to 1-11, are hosting the Pennington School on May 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)
By Bill Alden
Catherine Martin saved her best for last as she took the field for the Stuart Country Day School lacrosse team last Friday after being honored along with her classmates in the program’s annual Senior Day ceremony.
Co-captain and attacker/midfielder Martin tallied a career-high seven goals to spark Stuart as it battled valiantly before falling 16-12 to Gill St. Bernard’s.
“We have to make the most of it, the season is almost over and our girls have worked so hard this year,” said Martin.
“It just felt so good to play. The adrenaline was so high; it was just one of those games.”
Stuart got off to a good start, building a 5-4 lead with Martin scoring three goals but Gill went on a 9-1 run to go up 13-6 early in the second half. The Tartans reeled off four straight goals to narrow the gap to 13-10 but could never get closer than that.
“In the second half, we tend to drop off but we were like we can’t let this happen again,” said Martin.
“We just have to keep pushing. We talked together as a team and we said to ourselves, what do we want to do, we want to win. So we are going to try everything we can, we are going to put everything on the field.”
In addition to tallying four goals and an assist in the second half, Martin looked to provide inspiration to her teammates.
“My role on this team is to guide others and give advice,” said Martin.
“It is a learning year, we have a lot of new players. It is so exciting, we get to play lacrosse.”
Having also served as a captain in field hockey and basketball, Martin brings a lot of leadership experience to the table.
“Over the years I have learned from other leaders on the teams and what good qualities I want to bring to the team and what made me feel good as a player being on their team,” said Martin.
“Sports are so much fun, I want other girls to enjoy it as well. I just want to bring positive energy to the team.”
While the Tartans have taken their lumps this spring, Martin believes the team is heading in a positive direction.
“We are improving, we just have to learn how to finish the game,” said Martin, who scored two goals as Stuart fell 11-8 to East Brunswick last Monday in moving to 1-11.
“We are playing so hard. If we had more girls and more time on the clock we could have won today.”
Stuart head coach Mark Maser credits Martin with making the most out of her time on the field.
“Catherine brings just a true optimism to every day, she has positive energy,” said Maser.
“She has sheer optimism and the will to power through and always press forward. Her only easy day was yesterday because tomorrow it is going to be the same thing. She is just going to keep going.”
In Maser’s view, the team’s Class of 2021 which also includes Janiah Adams, Lia Bull-Krieg, Anna Dawson, Molly Lagay, and Allison Tarbotton in addition to Martin, has provided a positive influence collectively.
“They are very close-knit,” said Maser. “They are what has kept us going through all of these difficult times. We are playing for the love of the game and the sport.”
While Stuart ran out of gas down the stretch in the loss to Gill, Maser liked the way his players kept going hard until the final whistle.
“We went on that run after we took a break, we needed a break,” said Maser, who got four goals and an assist from Emily Ix against Gill with Anna Landis chipping in one goal.
“We don’t have the depth on the bench that the other teams have. Our girls have to go 25 minutes a half, a lot of them never come off the field. The best we could do today was to move them from midfield to defense or midfield to attack every once in a while to give them a bit of a breather. We ask almost all of them to stay on the field the entire game and that is hard to do. You could see that it was taking its toll. We were always in it and played to the last draw.”
With Stuart hosting the Pennington School on May 20, Maser is hoping the squad can produce a breakthrough effort.
“In my heart of hearts, I am hoping that they get a win,” said Maser.
“They are dying for one, I think they deserve a win. They have worked hard and they are improving every day.”
But whatever the scoreboard says, Maser knows that his players will show heart.
“The way we are approaching it is that every day we get to play lacrosse is a win,” added Maser.
“With last year, not having been able to play, every day we get to play is special. That is what the seniors recognize and I think the rest of the team recognizes it for the seniors.”
Martin, for her part, recognizes what a special athletic experience she has had at Stuart over the last four years.
“I am going to miss the coaches; I have learned so many lessons,” said Martin, who is heading to Cornell University where she is planning to study computer science and hopes to play club sports.
“Sports is such a unique opportunity to get to know others because you are going through adversity together. I have built so many great relationships being in this program and I am so grateful for my coaches and the other players.”