Roselin Reyes-Lopez leads Green Wave to victory

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.

Amanda Olsen (left) is the head coach of the Long Branch High School lady Green Wave lacrosse team. Her little sister, Jillian (right) is an assistant coach working with the goalkeepers.

Leading Long Branch with 4 goals in the win over Jackson Liberty was senior Roselin Reyes-Lopez (9).

April 3, the lady Green Wave varsity lacrosse team of Long Branch High School made a big statemen. They hosted and crushed Jackson Liberty 14-2 in a Shore Conference Independence divisional game. It was the second game of the season for Long Branch, but their first victory.

Leading Long Branch was senior Roselin Reyes-Lopez with four goals and also had four ground balls and controlled two draws. She has been playing varsity for three years. Her freshman year she scored one goal, last year had 13 and just in two games this season she has a total of five goals.

“Last year, we lost eight starting seniors and the underclassmen this year are truly rising to the occasion. They are playing together as a team, and it is paying off,” said Amanda Olsen, head coach of the Lady Wave. She added that last year only 19% of their total goals were assisted. “While we have only played two games so far this season, 40% of our goals are currently assisted and that just shows how well they are working together as a unit.”

In the win over Jackson Liberty, the Green Wave had six assists on the 14 goals. Leading the team with three assists was senior Sherlin Reyes-Lopez, sister to Roselin. Besides the four goals by Roselin, each of the following Long Branch players scored two goals; Brittany Garcia-Mendoza, Luiza De Oliveira, Lauren Maxwell, and Jazmin Rabadan Mora. Sherlin Reyes-Lopez had one goal as did Maria-Luisa Mendes Martins.

Oliveira also had an assist in the win as did Julianna Valencia and Kamani Cooper. “Katherine Perez-Mora made seven saves in the goal for us,” added Olsen. She said that the offense played with a lot of patience and composure against the Jackson Liberty’s defense, and waited for the perfect moment to make moves towards the goal. “Our defense played a solid game. You can hear them constantly communicating with one another during the game. Our defense never stops fighting, regardless of the score, and they give it their all every single game. They truly are the backbone of our team.”

According to the coach many of the varsity players this season were on junior varsity last year. “They all put the work in during the spring. It amazes me how determined this group of young women are to be better than the year before. Their love for the game, and even more, their love for their teammates is undeniable,” said Olsen. All the Long Branch players have continued to do all the little things right, they hustle, give more than 100% on the field, they look to work together and not to be an individual in a team sport.

“The success and growth of this program is something I cannot take full credit for. It may be biased of me to say, but I have the best coaching staff,” said Olsen. Alexis Corbett and Meghan Scheck have helped Olsen build the program over the last two years. This year is even more exciting for the head coach. “I get to coach alongside my sister, Jillian Olsen, as well. We never had the opportunity to play together at Shore Regional as we are six years apart in age. So it has been a lot of fun having the opportunity to coach together this season and bond over a sport we both love.”

More photos of this game will be posted at www.Facebook.com/TheLinkSports and on Instagram at @link_news