Red Bank Regional girls lacrosse rallies late to beat Southern Regional

Seniors Chloe Keating and Karlie Ruland lead the comeback for the Bucs

Apr. 9, 2026 at 8:55pm

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A cubist, geometric painting in shades of red, blue, and green, depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a girls lacrosse game in an abstract, deconstructed style.The vibrant, fractured geometry of a girls lacrosse game captures the intensity and teamwork of Red Bank Regional's late-game comeback.Red Bank Today

The Red Bank Regional girls lacrosse team overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat reigning South Group 4 champion Southern Regional 5-4 on Thursday. Seniors Chloe Keating and Karlie Ruland each scored two goals in the final five minutes to lead the comeback, with Keating netting the tying and game-winning goals. Goalkeeper Nora Taveras also made key saves down the stretch to preserve the victory for the Bucs.

Why it matters

This win over a top opponent provides a major boost for Red Bank Regional's girls lacrosse team, which is led by 11 seniors aiming to make a deep postseason run after falling short in the Shore Conference Tournament finals three years ago. The Bucs are hoping to challenge perennial power Rumson-Fair Haven and make history for their program.

The details

After trailing 4-3 heading into the fourth quarter, Red Bank Regional leaned on its offensive stars to rally late. Attacker Chloe Keating scored the tying and game-winning goals in under a minute, while fellow senior Karlie Ruland also found the back of the net twice. Sophomore Maddie Pierson added one goal for the Bucs. Goalkeeper Nora Taveras, a George Washington commit, made several key saves down the stretch to preserve the victory.

  • Red Bank Regional trailed Southern Regional 4-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
  • In the final five minutes, Chloe Keating scored the tying and game-winning goals in under a minute.
  • Nora Taveras made crucial saves in the final minutes to hold onto the 5-4 lead for Red Bank Regional.

The players

Chloe Keating

A senior attacker for Red Bank Regional who scored the tying and game-winning goals in the final minutes to lead the comeback victory.

Karlie Ruland

A senior midfielder for Red Bank Regional who scored two goals and had a strong connection with Keating, her longtime lacrosse teammate.

Nora Taveras

A senior goalkeeper for Red Bank Regional and a George Washington commit who made crucial saves in the final minutes to preserve the win.

Brooke Connell

The head coach of the Red Bank Regional girls lacrosse team, who praised the leadership and chemistry of her 11 senior players.

Kai Angelozzi

A player for Southern Regional who scored one of the team's four goals in the loss.

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What they’re saying

“Honestly I was sitting there and I was looking at the score and like the last 10 minutes I was obviously down on us and was getting nervous and I see Karlie (Ruland), and Karlie always gets me through the little needle - she always threads the needle on her passes and when she got me that pass I was like I need to fake her out. So I went up and went down and it went in and it was the best feeling.”

— Chloe Keating, Red Bank Regional senior attacker

“We've played lacrosse together for like a decade so we've always had a strong connection ever since freshman year. She's always open, she's the attacker I go to whenever I see someone in the middle, so we definitely have a strong connection.”

— Karlie Ruland, Red Bank Regional senior midfielder

“She is insane. She is the root of our team. She is the girl I go to, I can count on her to be there. If someone gets past our defense she's always there. We have so much trust in her and she has so much trust in us.”

— Karlie Ruland, Red Bank Regional senior midfielder

“Nora is one of those players we can always count on her. She always comes up big for us and she leads this team both on and off the field. She knows how to motivate them. She may not be the loudest but she plays the loudest for sure.”

— Brooke Connell, Red Bank Regional head coach

What’s next

The Bucs will look to continue their momentum and challenge perennial power Rumson-Fair Haven, who they lost to 11-3 a week ago. Red Bank Regional is hoping to make it back to the Shore Conference Tournament finals, where they fell 9-7 to Rumson-Fair Haven three years ago.

The takeaway

This comeback victory over a top opponent showcases the leadership and chemistry of Red Bank Regional's 11 senior players, who are determined to make a deep postseason run and cement their legacy in the program. The Bucs' ability to rally late and the clutch performance of goalkeeper Nora Taveras demonstrate the team's resilience and championship aspirations.