By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/3/11
Despite seeing her team lose, 15-10, in the Under Armour Girls’ Senior All-American Game Saturday at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, South midfielder Taylor Trimble said the experience was memorable.
“It was such a fun weekend and both girls’ teams hung out the whole time,” said Trimble, the recent Episcopal Academy graduate who scored two goals in the loss. “And it’s always awesome to be with the U-19 girls.
“We all have gotten so used to playing together that it was a little weird to go up against them.”
Trimble was joined by four Philly girls – Downingtown East’s Allie Murray (goalie) and Kelly Devlin (midfielder), Baldwin School’s Sloan Warren (midfielder) and Radnor’s Annie Woehling (goalie) – in the annual all-star game pitting the country’s top 44 seniors.
Warren added a goal for the South and both Murray and Woehling posted two saves in a half of work. Devlin contributed a draw control.
Trimble, a member of the USA U-19 team that plays in the FIL World Championships in Hannover, Germany next month, got to play with and against many of her new teammates.
She said the toughest part of the game was dealing with temperature that hovered at 120 degrees on the sizzling afternoon turf.
“The heat was bad,” said Trimble, who is headed to Duke and is serving as the US team captain. “You definitely felt it. We just had to play through it, and, of course, any opportunity to hydrate we took!”
Warren, headed to Virginia, said she got a taste of what big-time college lacrosse will look like. She scored her goal after receiving a pass from Woehling and carrying the ball down the field before getting a give-and-go pass from Annie Thomas of John Carroll (Md.).
“It was really an awesome experience,” she said. “The energy of playing in the stadium in front of a bunch of people was so great.
“I had played with or against so many of the in club lacrosse, but I was so amazed with the intensity and high level of play. The pace was so incredibly fast; it was like a taste of the college lacrosse level.
“It was exhilarating and a little wake up call for me. It makes me excited for the year.”
Woehling, headed to Princeton, agree that the talent level was exceptional.
“It was so much fun to play with all those super impressive players,” she said. “You couldn’t tell who the best player was. It was so nice to play at that level.
“It was fun because Allie and I have played together a lot – at the National tournament last year and at Under Armour. We also played at the U-19 tryouts. We have different styles.”
Woehling said the South team bonded during a day of practices and get togethers on Friday.
“It was fun to meet a bunch of new people and I hadn’t expected to get as close to them as I did,” she said. “Playing with the girls on the South was a great experience.”
Devlin, headed to North Carolina, also enjoyed the experience.
“It was a great time,” she said. “It was a shame we couldn’t pull through and win. We felt good at halftime (the score was 7-7), but they took the lead and kept it. Coach (Mary Bartel of Notre Dame Prep, Md.) talked to us about being smart and slowing it down when it got to a run-and-gun game.
“But it was great to be with a bunch of Philly girls. Also, now I know what it is going to be like playing against the top players.”
Murray, signed with Notre Dame and also a member of the U-19 team, concurred. “It was an awesome event and an incredible experience playing on a team with the top players in the country.”
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