LADUE – MICDS senior Maddie Sineff returned to the scene of devastation.
Last season, during the Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association state semifinals played at John Burroughs, Sineff suffered a torn ACL in the Rams’ semifinal loss to Eureka, and began a long, arduous road to recovery.
“The thought of getting back on the field and playing for my team is what got me through it,” Sineff said.
Sineff scored twice and collected a crucial ground ball, and freshman Josie Ciaramita netted the game-winning goal as MICDS topped defending state champion John Burroughs 11-10 Tuesday in an early-season thriller at Leland Field.
MICDS (2-0), the state champion in 2021 and 2022, defeated the Bombers for the 12th consecutive time dating back to 2014.
“Even if they weren’t state champs, it would still be Burroughs-MICDS. Both teams bring the most intensity to this game. It means a lot,” MICDS senior Ava Goldson said.
Goldson dished out five assists, including a perfectly-paced feed to a cutting Sineff to put MICDS ahead 10-8 going into the fourth quarter.
“That felt really good,” Sineff said. “I definitely wanted to get it in the back of the net for my teammates. They’re depending on me, and when we execute like that, it’s a great feeling.”
John Burroughs (1-2) responded like a champion.
An excellent save by senior goalie Sahana Madala prompted a clean exit from the defensive zone and led to a goal from senior Eva Kasel. A tough, ground ball scoop by sophomore Kate Logsdon became the catalyst for senior Rosalie Tasker’s bouncing shot that tied the score at 10 with 6:45 remaining.
“This group just seems to be resilient,” John Burroughs coach Meghan DiGiulio said. “In that fourth quarter, we maintained our composure, didn’t feel rushed, took care of the ball each possession and waited to find those open looks.”
But it was the ability of MICDS to collect 50-50 balls in the final six minutes that ultimately led to victory. Senior defender Mikaela Mikulec emerged from a crowd with the ball in her stick and set up the Rams’ offense. After the Rams worked the ball around the perimeter, Ciaramita bolted towards the net and unleashed a rocket to give MICDS the lead with 4:53 to play.
“Being tied with the reigning state champs is a lot of motivation in itself, but the most important motivation is my team,” Ciaramita said. “They set me up for success, they’re great communicators and I knew they were there to back me up with the game on the line.”
A caused turnover by sophomore Amelia Macklin, a ground ball scoop by junior Lucia Stoynoff and a tough collection of a 50-50 ball in traffic by Sineff, who took a hard fall in the process, helped MICDS escape the final minutes without yielding a shot on cage.
“I did wipe out afterward, but I put my body in there and got it,” Sineff said.
Another MICDS player returning from ACL surgery was junior Hattie Sloane, who sparked an advantage in the draw circle for the Rams in the first half.
“Having everybody back from injury is great,” MICDS coach Kate Haffenreffer said. “We’re just trying to keep everybody healthy. I’m excited to see what they can do. There’s a lot of untapped potential.”
Late in the first quarter, Goldson wrapped around the net to deposit an underhand shot, and junior Caroline Koman scored on a smooth spin move as MICDS found success attacking near the left side of the John Burroughs’ cage to grab a 5-4 lead.
Goldson set up her office behind the John Burroughs goal in the second quarter, feeding Sloane and Ciaramata for goals to help the Rams take an 8-4 lead into halftime.
“Being that low person, I’m trying to make sure that I’m controlling the offense and keeping my teammates calm if they’re getting too rushed,” said Goldson, who will continue her lacrosse career at Claremont McKenna College in California. “I’m reading the next play and recognizing that when our middies are tired, we don’t need to play immediately. Let’s get it around and give them a breather.”
After being shut out in the second quarter, John Burroughs found its groove quickly after halftime. A lefty sling by sophomore Reese Rafferty 36 seconds into the third quarter opened the scoring, and goals by Logsdon and Tasker sliced the deficit to 8-7 at the midway point.
“We just said, ’Possess. Play Bomber lacrosse,’ DiGiulio recalled of her halftime message. “At that point, they were winning the 50-50 balls, and I felt like we flipped the switch in the second half. We ran to those ground balls, anticipated their checks coming out of those 50-50 possessions and just did a better job of protecting the ball.”
But MICDS matched the defending champions’ toughness and intensity.
Koman scored her fourth goal after receiving a feed from Goldson, bouncing off defenders and releasing a shot while falling to the ground. Sineff and her bulky knee brace bolted through a sea of defenders to put MICDS ahead 10-8 after three quarters, setting up the exciting finish.
“It’s been good to get back in the swing of things. It was definitely a fast-paced game. It reminded me of what it’s like to get back into it,” Sineff said.
Near the bottom of the MICDS warmup shirts is the phrase, “No Tomorrow.” It is a reminder not to take anything for granted.
It is a message that especially resonates with Sineff.
“You have to play like there’s no tomorrow. You never know when it’s your last game,” Sineff said.
Photos can be found at @metro_sports_stl Instagram.