Elizabeth Darcy gets two goals and two assists to lead Sacred Heart in annual 'Play 4 Mary' game

The players and coaches on the Sacred Heart girls lacrosse team weren’t totally content with their performance at halftime. But that’s when they were reminded of exactly what they were doing – playing a game. As simple as it sounds, that’s all the reminder the Spartans needed.

Sacred Heart played its annual “Play 4 Mary” home contest against Kellenberg on Monday. The game holds special meaning as it also serves as a fundraiser for The Mary Ruchalski Foundation, which was created in 2019 in memory of Mary Ruchalski, a multisport athlete who died in March 2018 of rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of childhood cancer. Ruchalski, who was a student at St. Agnes Cathedral School in Rockville Centre, died at 12 years old.

“In those hard moments, we realize we have to stick together, we have to stay positive,” said senior attack Elizabeth Darcy. “At the end of the day, Mary was always the first one to pick someone else up. So in those moments, we pick each other up.”

Darcy read a pregame message about her friend, Mary Ruchalski, and the Mary Ruchalski Foundation. Darcy wears a bracelet every day that says “Be like Mary.” That message and Ruchalski’s spirit stuck with Sacred Heart as the Spartans pulled away to a 15-6 victory over Kellenberg in CHSAA girls lacrosse play on Monday.

Sacred Heart (4-0) outscored Kellenberg (1-2) 10-4 in the second half, including 5-2 in the third quarter.

“We really came out strong in the third quarter,” Darcy said. “We were ready to play. I felt in the first quarter our energy was low and our team was reminded that we’re lucky to be here, we’re lucky to keep Mary’s memory alive. We really tried to celebrate every goal for her. Do everything in that third quarter to put this win away and to do it for her today.”

Darcy had two goals and two assists as one of six Sacred Heart players with multiple points. Colleen Thieke had four goals and an assist, Kaylee Fravert had three goals, Cadence Flaherty had two goals and an assist, Sienna Prisco had a goal and two assists and Charlotte Browne scored two goals.

“During halftime, we reminded ourselves what we’re playing for and that’s a bigger cause,” Browne said. “A bigger purpose than ourselves. It was more than just a game. We’re here to have fun, work hard and enjoy it. These games are a gift and we really brought that out to the field today.”

“There are girls that would do anything to be out on this field and just play a sport but they can’t for whatever reason and Mary loved this game,” coach Danielle Etrasco said. “Just for them to play for something bigger than themselves was a big message and something we came back to a lot.”