Van Calcar leads Ramapo to state sectional final by Sean Farrell of The Record

FRANKLIN LAKES – The wait is over for Danielle Van Calcar.

For years, she believed this was the season and the tournament that would be special.

She was right.

Ramapo’s offensive superstar gave one more performance for the ages in a senior season to remember.

Val Calcar scored season-highs with nine goals and 16 points in Ramapo’s 20-8 win over Pope John in the North 1, Group 2 girls lacrosse semifinals.

The program’s leading goal-scorer now has 99 on the year to top all Bergen County players.

She will have a chance to record her second straight 100-goal season on Friday. That’s when the Green Raiders play Sparta with a chance at their first state title.

“All four years, we’ve been wanting to make it [to a final] and prove to everyone else that we are a respectable team,” Van Calcar said. “This year, everyone knew that this was our year. It’s special for us to make it this far.”

Van Calcar has been a transcendent player in Franklin Lakes.

The team was at rock bottom when she came as a freshman.

The Green Raiders were coming off a 1-14 season.

They won seven games during her first year and 11 in the following one.

The youth movement paid off quickly.

“We always knew that going into Ramapo that we could do good things,” senior Kate D’Alessandro said.

“That our class could be the class to turn this around,” Van Calcar said.

Van Calcar took over the game on Tuesday with a brilliant first half.

Nothing Pope John did seemed to matter.

She split defenders. She won draws. She created many of her own chances, and even more for teammates.

One more team found out the hard way what everyone else has in Bergen County.

“She is one of the hardest-working athletes and lacrosse players I’ve ever seen,” assistant coach Elizabeth Drehwing said. “She hustles day in and day out. She holds herself to the highest standard and also holds the team very accountable. She makes sure everybody is working constantly. She’s very selfless and wants what’s best for the team.”

The Lions pressured Van Calcar all afternoon.

They assigned a player to “faceguard” or follow her around.

But the pressure didn’t bother Van Calcar, who’s received similar treatment in most games this season.

“I actually like getting faceguarded because then I can help out my teammates,” Van Calcar said. “I don’t hate it.”

“Sometimes, they stop because they realize we have other shooters on the team. What’s the point of faceguarding one shooter when the rest of the team can score?”

Taylor Pani recorded a hat trick for Ramapo, while Caitlin Wolfe and Kali Nickles had two goals apiece.

“Everyone just felt it today,” Van Calcar said. “Pope John had a great game. But we want it. We want to get to the finals and we want to win the state section and advance to maybe enter TOCs. We want it and know we can get it. “

“I don’t want this season to end,” Van Calcar said. “This is our year.”