1 week Ago By Daily Record
CHATHAM BOROUGH — No matter what was happening on the field for the Chatham girls lacrosse team on Tuesday, Grace Hallahan was in the middle of it. Hallahan took the draws, picked up ground balls, made solid passes and scored a goal. She even got an ovation – and a postgame poster – for reaching her 200th successful draw control.
But after the Cougars defeated Morristown, 11-5, Hallahan showered praise on her teammates. It was Chatham's first victory against its Stars & Stripes Red rival since the 2022 Morris County Tournament final. The unbeaten Cougars (4-0) had eight different players with at least one point on Tuesday, led by junior midfielder Peyton Furst with a career-high four goals and an assist.
Michigan-bound senior Caroline Condon and sophomore Shannon Collins had two goals apiece for Morristown. The Colonials (1-2) are rebuilding after losing six NCAA Division I lacrosse players to graduation. "We're trying to figure things out as a team together," said Condon, who also faced Hallahan on draw controls.
"All our heads are in the right spot. ..
. The Morristown culture is the same, the same values. Our slogan this year is, 'Earn it,' and we have to find our way.
"More: 2025 Morris/Sussex girls lacrosse team-by-team preview capsulesChatham scored two goals in the first three minutes of Tuesday's game and never blinked. And as hot as the Cougars' offense was, the defense kept Morristown in its own end until 3:46 was left in the first quarter. The Colonials didn't muster up a shot for another two minutes.
Chatham goalie Annie Alden made two saves against nine Morristown shots.Hallahan, meanwhile, won nine draws for 206 total and is two goals short of 100 for her career. Coach Helen McCutcheon Oliver, herself a Chatham alumna, had another poster already prepared in recognition of that milestone.
Morristown junior Eloise Downes made 25 "college-level" saves and "stood on her head," according to McCutcheon Oliver."I wasn't worried about the outcome of the game, because I knew other people would take advantage and other people would be able to score, and that's exactly what happened," said Hallahan, a senior who has signed a National Letter of Intent with Richmond. "That really shows our team isn't one person or two people.
Everyone can work well as a unit. It really shows the depth of our team. Every single person on that offensive side can be confident with the ball in their stick and be confident to take it to cage.
"After Chatham started the season on a winning streak, the four-game stretch against Morristown might not seem so ominous, especially since both teams won NJSIAA titles last spring. It was Chatham's third straight state championship, and the Colonials' second in three years.But the losing streak included the last two MCT finals – both won by Morristown.
The Cougars seemed certain they'd meet again, most likely next month with another county title on the line. But first, Chatham continues its division play against Summit on Thursday, and hosts national power Sacred Heart from Greenwich, Connecticut on Saturday."It's definitely a lot of motivation and it shows a lot about our program," Furst said.
"It's a lot of respect for the type of game we always look to play. Having that extra competition, it's everything all of us want to work for."This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ girls lacrosse: Morristown at Chatham Stars & Stripes Red.
