Girls’ lacrosse took a 10-6 win over Natick Tuesday, April 7, after rebounding back from a disappointing first quarter.
Natick quickly took charge of the game, moving towards North’s defense zone. Although she earned two fouls, sophomore Vayla Leffler saved both shots and quickly pushed the ball up the field.
Although North tried to keep its defense steady, Natick’s efforts remained strong, and the Redhawks took at 1-0 after two additional fouls.
The Tigers answered quickly, with sophomore Willa Hanson scoring off a back shovel shot and evening out the score.
“We didn’t let our dip in the first quarter of the game keep us down. We were able to come back from a two goal deficit in the first quarter,” said senior Margaux Shepard, a captain along with seniors Zadie Besev, Penny Blumenthal, and Alex Gunita. “Our energy stayed high even when we were losing, and we didn’t let the setback affect the rest of the game.”
The ball waffled between both sides of the field for the remainder of the first quarter. North continued to demonstrate its strong offensive pushes, but fell yet again to Natick’s foul shots, and the Tigers were down by two at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, the momentum began to shift towards the Tiger’s offense push. After multiple impressive saves from Leffler, junior Kendall Swint put the ball in the net with clear talent.
The Tigers’ efforts remained consistent, ending the first half tied 3-3.
“People are beginning to understand that being on this team is bigger than just playing; it’s about contributing to the culture and energy that makes us successful as a whole,” added Shepard.
Natick began the second half strong, winning the draw and progressing to its offensive end. Leffler shut down Natick’s attempts and gave the ball to junior Lily Southall, who scored off of her upfield progression.
The Tigers began to pick up their energy, with Blumenthal putting another point on the board to close the gap to 5-3.
Although Natick played relentlessly, the Redhawks were no match for the Tigers, who finished the game strong with a 10-6 score.
The Tigers, 6-1, lost in a tense fight to Westford Academy April 10, and soundly defeated both Braintree and Needham. They will travel to Weston Saturday, April 18.
