Defense dominant again for Jackson girls lacrosse as Polar Bears reach regional finals
GREEN — The defensive players for lacrosse teams don't grab many headlines.
Make no mistake, though. It's a big reason why the Jackson girls lacrosse team is headed back to the Division I regional finals after an impressive 16-3 victory over Avon on Monday evening at Green Memorial Stadium.
"Our defense is a staple for us," Jackson head coach John Kroah said. "If you can keep the other team from scoring like they have been, it can help cover up some mistakes in other places."
It also allows Jackson's potent offense more leeway to be aggressive. That was on full display as the Polar Bears raced out to a 9-0 lead by halftime. It was the third consecutive half where Jackson shut out an opponent in the postseason.
"It allows our offense to operate freely," Kroah said. "We can afford to be a little more aggressive with our offensive strategy because we trust our defense so much."
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It's a defense loaded with talent. That includes players such as Cam Meek (Kent State recruit), Ava Peterson (Pittsburgh recruit), Catalina Gonzalez-Abreu and goalkeeper Lauren Esposito. The unit is coached by assistant Mike Peterson, a former football player for Jackson who later played for Jim Tressel at Youngstown State.
"It's a fun unit to coach," Peterson said. "Defense is such a unique unique position in lacrosse. You really have to react to play the game as a team. If one person at a position has a breakdown, the entire unit tends to have a breakdown. Everything is so dependent on every player fulfilling their role."
Defenders tend to have different specialties that help contribute to the unit as a whole. Gonzalez-Abreu tends to excel at scooping up loose ground balls dropped by attackers.
"She's the queen of getting to those first," Kroah said.
It's all just part of helping the team for Gonzalez-Abreu.
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"I just kind of get a rush of adrenaline when I see a loose ball," Gonzalez-Abreu said. "You want to perform and contribute so it really drives me to hustle just as hard as I can when I see one. I can't really pinpoint one thing or another that explains why I have gotten so many this year other than wanting to make something happen."
That team-first mentality doesn't seem to be unique to just Gonzalez-Abreu.
"They feel like it's not about them," Mike Peterson said. "It's about us. The word family gets thrown around a lot in sports, but that's a real feeling for them and it shows in how they play. They have really taken the message to heart."
The structured play of the group has caught the attention of coaches in other sports at Jackson.
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"They are just fun to watch," Mike Peterson said. "I know our new football coach, Jay Rohr, saw one of our practices and he told me how impressed he was with how quickly the girls get in position and also how well they communicate with each other and make adjustments."
Some of those traits also can be attributed to the culture developed under Kroah.
"He understands how to develop players," Mike Peterson said. "He's just taken things to a whole new level here. With the way he has built the program and the way he motivates the kids, it almost feels like cheating being an assistant coach for him."
While the defense did its work, Lauren Pallotta and the offense capitalized. Pallotta scored six goals and had two assists for Jackson.
"She made some unbelievably high level shots tonight," Kroah said.
Pallotta is left-handed and that combined with her athleticism seemed to give Avon fits.
"It's absolutely a factor," Kroah said. "The right side is usually the strong side of the defense so she presents a unique problem by coming at them from the weak side."
Allie Hartnett added three goals and an assist for Jackson.
The Polar Bears will face Hudson in the regional finals. The game will be played on Thursday at Jackson at 6 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday, but Hudson was scheduled to hold its graduation that day.
The Explorers defeated Jackson (19-1) in the regional finals last year. The Polar Bears beat Hudson (18-3) 16-6 earlier this season.
"We're excited about this opportunity," Gonzalez-Abreu said. "They are a strong team, but we are excited about how we are playing."
Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @chickmanREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson defense comes up big again as Polar Bears reach regional final
