Photo credits: Ed Leonard

By Steve Sears

The 2021 spring season is turning out to be a banner one for the Pequannock High School Lacrosse team.

Head Coach Lindsay Lafferman recently won her 100th game, and shortly thereafter senior goalie Grace Mulhall notched her 200th save.

“We were playing Indian Hills, which actually makes it an even better feeling because in the past they were always a difficult team to beat,” says Mulhall of the game where she made save number 200. “The save honestly felt like any other save I have made; a rush goes through me that is empowering. Then when my team ran up and started cheering for me, it was such an incredible and unforgettable feeling.”

Lafferman, who is in her 15th season at the helm of the Panthers, is from Smithtown, Long Island (where she played lacrosse) and attended York College (where she played soccer). Her lacrosse resume is pretty significant. She has also been coaching the North Jersey North Schoolgirls’ team since 2012, and runs as well Jersey Thunder Lacrosse, Lax On (a college league in the summer), and finally a summer clinic program for younger kids. “It was great because that’s a great milestone,” she said of victory 100, which came against Ramsey. “The kids are playing really well and they were fighting to get it in such a competitive game.”

Lafferman started the lacrosse program at the school when she arrived. “We really started at the ground level,” she recalls, “so it’s exciting now to kind of come full circle. A lot of my seniors started as little kids, little players in the youth program in the beginning, so it’s awesome to watch them grow, and then to celebrate the hundredth with them playing for me is fantastic.” 

Mulhall is proud to be a member of the Pequannock Panthers, who are part of the Freedom West Conference. “It’s because of how much talent all of my teammates have,” she says of the team. “In every game their speed and grit makes their passion so evident. It’s incredible to watch the middies and attackers do their thing and score one goal after another. Then when the ball comes down I know I can have full trust in my defenders, which any goalie knows is a really good feeling. Also, the attitude is always positive on the team and we all uplift one another which definitely plays a huge role in our success so far.”

Mulhall’s save amount is a nice accomplishment considering Covid-19 ended their 2020 season early. “My team has had a tremendous come back this season considering we missed out on a season due to the pandemic,” she says. “It is very evident by the energy that we all missed the sport so much and now cherish every moment.”

“It’s a great accomplishment I think in a short amount of time, quite honestly,” affirms Lafferman of her goalie’s success, who has started in the position since her sophomore year.

Lafferman then discusses her Jersey Thunder program. “We are a club program that helps athletes develop to the next level, and we support them as they get older with the recruiting process. We have players in our Thunder family from grades five to grade 12. We have a really nice diverse group of players from really all over several counties in New Jersey. We’re based in Morris County but we have players from all over, which is great because you know kids really get to make new friends and meet other players across the sport from different schools. And we’re very family oriented. We really get to know our players very well, and we have a fantastic staff who I think really helps players bring their game to the next level. I run the program with my partner, Michael Spinner.”

And for the head coach, there are certain aspects to lacrosse that have made it such a big part of her life. “I think because it’s such an amazing game to watch. It’s really creative, there’s a lot of strategy and the skill level is just so impressive. And I really enjoy coaching it because I think there’s so much to teach, whether it’s different strategies or different approaches on offense. I just find it to be a really fun sport to coach and to play at a high level.”