Bergen County lacrosse star happy, healthy and motivated to make history after ankle scare
ALLENDALE – Abby Henderson is tough as nails.
The Northern Highlands senior doesn't only put her body on the line to win a ground ball or weave through tight spaces. She put her team before her own interests after tearing a muscle and three ligaments in her right ankle late last year.
Doctors gave her a six-week timeline and warned her to think about her long-term future. Henderson made it back in 13 days.
"It was really hard making the decision," Henderson said. "Should I be there for my team or focus on the future? I wasn't committed to play in college yet. I made the decision to help out my team because that means more to me than individual effort. I'm glad I did it. I don't regret it."
Henderson is happy, healthy and motivated to make history this season. That is good news for Northern Highlands (2-1) and bad news for everyone else.
The Bucknell commit filled up the scorebook on Tuesday when the Highlanders smoked Ramapo, 15-5, in a top-five showdown. Five goals. Three forced turnovers. A 4-for-7 day on the draw.
Henderson has already chipped in 13 goals and two assists this season after finishing eighth in Bergen County last season in points.
The problem for opposing coaches in the Stars and Stripes North? It can backfire to focus on only one player.
Northern Highlands brought back its top five scorers, including senior midfielders Ava Kearl and Annie Lish and sophomore attack Maddie Willkomm. Kearl is one of the top playmakers in North Jersey and developed an unspoken connection with Henderson since meeting as fourth grade classmates from Allendale.
Now the Highlanders want to win their first county and state titles and leave a legacy as the greatest team in program history.
"We have 10 seniors this year and we've all been playing together since third grade in the Highlands rec program and we've all stayed together," Henderson said. "It's super special for our grade, especially. We're all such good friends off the field and we work so well on the field."
Path to success
Henderson started playing lacrosse in second grade with a nudge from her father, who played at Bentley. The versatile middie finished with a team-high 64 goals last year for the Bergen County finalists. It was the most by a Highlander since school scoring leader Julia Bradbury in 2017. Henderson knows all about Bradbury, having called the Bucknell alum for advice during the college selection process.
Defense is another source of pride for Henderson, who showed off her instincts on Tuesday with a stick check that led to a breakaway goal.
"She's as competitive as they come," coach Michael Menzella said. "From anything from mini-golf to little things that we do in practice. It doesn't matter if it's for fitness or just for fun. She's a competitor. When you have that in practice, it raises the level of everyone around you."
Playing through pain
The one downside for Henderson has been her health. She's dealt with ankle issues in the past and wore a knee brace for a while in middle school – the byproduct of a torn MCL and fractured tibia from soccer. Last year, she put on a walking boot and switched to attack to expedite the recovery process.
Henderson was going for a dodge in the regular season finale when shooting space was called. She went to stop, but landed awkwardly and knew it was bad.
"I've rolled them a lot but that one especially hurt," Henderson said. "It burned. It was really painful. I knew. It swelled up right away. It was very black and blue."
"It was hard for the rest of us because Abby is obviously a very strong player that we rely on," Kearl said. "At the same time, I think it helped everybody step up. We had to fill in that big shoe that she left. We all elevated so when she came back, the whole team got better."
And now it's full speed ahead for Northern Highlands and No. 16. Hope is in the air after starting the year with a one-goal loss to returning Tournament of Champions finalist Oak Knoll.
Falling one step short of a sectional title last year motivated Henderson and her teammates to hit the weight room, set up captain's practices and sign up for winter leagues.
"We all know what it's like to play at a high level," Henderson said. "We're prepared to work super hard and do what it takes to get back there."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Northern Highlands NJ girls lacrosse star happy, healthy and motivated
