Regina Williams scored four goals to lead Lenape Valley to an 8-7 victory over Pope John in a tightly contested game in Sparta.
Lenape Valley (9-2) overcame a slow start to secure the win, outscoring Pope John 5-1 in the middle quarters after trailing 3-1 following the first period. The Patriots scored three goals in the third quarter to take control of the game.
Layla Bortak added two goals for Lenape Valley, while Alida Williams and Addison Coles each contributed one goal to round out the scoring.
Pope John (5-7) made a late push with three goals in the fourth quarter but could not complete the comeback. Jordyn Smith and Serena Lorenzo led the Lions with two goals each.
Olivia Zywicki contributed one goal and one assist for a total of two points, while also collecting four ground balls.
Kylee McCracken was solid in goal for Lenape Valley, making 14 saves to secure the victory. Pope John split goaltending duties between Kendall Weiss, who made nine saves, and Bella Bucur, who stopped two shots.
The Lions dominated in ground balls, collecting 34 compared to none recorded for Lenape Valley. Allie Walton led Pope John with five ground balls.
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Generative AI was used to produce an initial draft of this story, which was reviewed and edited by NJ Advance Media staff.