HEADlines

Both teams’ junior varsity and varsity squads met at Dawson Field in Towaco to honor and raise funds for a national charity as well as a local one during their “Score for a Cure” event.

The event was held to raise fund for the HEADstrong foundation and the Michael W. Coppola Memorial Fund.

The HEADstrong Foundation is nationally known for raising money to fight blood cancer and support efforts for research and finding a cure. It is named for Nick “Head” Colleluori, a former Hofstra University lacrosse player who died in 2006 of Non-Hodgkins Lymphona. His battle against the disease has inspired lacrosse programs from across the nation and especially along the east coast to raise funds for the disease in his honor.

Along with HEADstrong, both teams honored the memory of Michael W. Coppola, a former Pequannockstudent and member of the Class of 2012 who lost his battle with leukemia last year. Coppola played football and lacrosse and was also a member of the school’s National Honor Society.

Pequannock head coach Lindsay Lafferman stated $1,407 was raised through sales of HEADstrong items as well as the team’s stick raffle Saturday afternoon. Lafferman also noted the team raised $1,195 through online donations and coupled with Montville‘s online donations of $1,175, the total amount raised through the weekend was $3,777.

In addition, Pequannock‘s team has raised $388 for the Michael W. Coppola Scholarship Fund, which has been created to provide scholarships to P.T.H.S. graduating seniors as well as provide donations to Leukemia and Graft vs. Host Disease programs and/or research projects.

As far as the game, Montville (12-2) marched to an 8-3 lead after the first half and went on to a 15-4 victory.

Pequannock (10-4), which had dropped its third straight game after a nine-game winning streak, received goals from Caitlyn Horgan, Leanne Licitra, Christine Richard, and Alyssa Tachon.

“I think her team (Montville head coach Jen Mulvaney) deserves a lot of credit for an impressive game,” said Lafferman. “My team on the other hand had trouble putting the pieces together as a group. We did not play as we know we can, and unfortunately we didn’t execute well when we had the opportunity to do so.”

Horgan and Montville‘s Carly DeNigris were the recipients of the Nick Colleluori Award during halftime, which is awarded to a player from each team who leads by example both on and off the field, is hard working, and is “relentless” as they strive to be the best they can be as Collelouri was in his fight against blood cancer.

Donations are still being accepted online at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/lindsaylafferman/score4acure/team.