Grace DiPalermo capped her girls’ lacrosse career in grand style.
DiPalermo, who was graduated from Manalapan High School in June, will move on and attend The College of New Jersey.
She revealed that she will not continue playing girls’ lacrosse once she hits the college campus in Ewing this fall.
But she shined in her final game when she was instrumental during the Shore Girls’ Lacrosse Coaches Association All-Star Game that was played on June 12 at Middletown High School South.
DiPalermo keyed the 20-16 victory that the North All-Stars posted over the South All-Stars that evening.
After being down 11-10 at the half, the North rallied in the second half to secure the victory.
DiPalermo, who played midfield and defense, was a crucial component when her all-star team held off the threats form the South near the end of the game.
“My team won the game,” DiPalermo said. “We were able to hold off the other team in the last couple of minutes from scoring.”
DiPalermo, who was second in goals for Manalapan this past season with 21, was thrilled to be a part of the all-star event.
“It was an honor to be personally selected to play in the all-star game and be able to play with other amazing players who I have played against for the past four years,” she said.
Playing in the all-star game with DiPalermo was another Manalapan graduate senior, Nina Rivera.
Rivera came off a season where she scored 20 goals and recorded three assists.
Ally Largey of Colts Neck High School, who also played in the all-star game, produced an outstanding spring season in 2018.
She recorded 146 points, a total that was the third highest in New Jersey. She amassed 105 goals, which was fifth best in the state, to lead Colts Neck to the Central Jersey, Group 3 state sectional tournament’s semifinal round.
“I was honored to represent Cougars lacrosse in the game,” Largey said. “The all-star game was so much fun, I thought I played well and the best part was being able to play on the same team as some of the great players that I usually have to play against during the regular high school season.”
Largey will enroll at Lehigh University but will focus on playing for the school’s club team and not the college’s varsity program.
“It will be fun and a great environment for me to start college, so I am looking forward to the friendships it will help me make,” she said. “I plan to study engineering, so because of the rigor of the program, I am happy to play club which will give me the chance to continue to play without as large of a commitment.”
Largey was joined in the all-star game by Colts Neck teammate Taylor Niedzielski, who played midfield.
“It was an amazing honor to play in the all-star game with my teammate Taylor and along with other great players in the shore conference,” she said. “I felt like I really accomplished something this past season.”
Niedzielski registered 28 goals and 23 assists for Colts Neck this spring.
Freehold Township High School’s Michelle Pascrell scored twice to help in the North’s victory in the all-star game.
Pascrell scored 89 goals and ended with 44 assists this past season to finish with 133 points, 10th best in the state.
Pascrell’s Freehold Township teammate, Cai Martin, was selected by the Shore Girls’ Lacrosse Coaches Association as a scholarship winner for an essay she wrote about what lacrosse had meant to her.
Martin came off a strong spring when she scored 76 goals and picked up 32 assists to finish with 108 points.
