by Ryan Condon
At home Monday in the first game of its season, girls’ lacrosse was up at the half against Belmont.
However, it saw its lead slowly declined towards the end of the game, the girls finishing in a 16-16 tie.
“We had a lead of four, but in the second half, they just kept winning every draw,” said senior Kayla Farina, a captain with senior Allison Berkowitz and senior Hannah McGoldrick.
She said the team had good transitions through the middle of the field but needs to work on communication. “There will be times where we’re passing and communicating well, but other times our communication breaks down,” she said.
According to McGoldrick, the team was thrown off balance at the end of the game by Belmont’s comeback.
McGoldrick said, “We had a good lead, but one by one, they started to get goals and work their way back into the game, and that was where we panicked a little.”
Berkowitz, Farina and McGoldrick all said that senior Ellie Abbott, the team’s goalie, had an outstanding game, making 13 saves. The captains also pointed to sophomore Shannon Fitzgerald, who scored many of the team’s goals.
Farina said the team’s defense in the second half was a weak point in the game and that the team is working on fundamental defensive skills in practices.
“We have a lot of new players this season, so we’re trying to work on fundamental skills such as handling and passing,” she said.
Last season the team went 13-5-1, advancing to the postseason before losing to Needham in the Sectional Quarterfinals. According to McGoldrick, the team wants to go further in the tournament this year.
The team will play Norwood on Monday at home, a game that Farina said “is always a good, close game.”
“Lacrosse isn’t about crushing the other team. It’s about the close games that come down to the wire,” McGoldrick said. “The best games are neck and neck and are decided by the last few minutes.”