CC Girls Lacrosse: A Blowout Win and a Hard-Fouth Tie

The following was provided on behalf of the Concord-Carlisle High School girls varisity lacrosse program.

Patriots Route Buccaneers 14-1

CC took advantage of their speed, strength and more finely tuned stickwork trouncing Bedford Wednesday 14-1.

The Patriots controlled the game from the outset, as freshmen Hannah Dudley won the draw control, ran the field and placed a well aimed shot to the top corner. CC never looked back.

Scoring came fast, frequently and by many as Emma Mahoney (3 goals, 1 assist) and Becca Olsen (3 goals) led the Patriots while Lexi Goodhue, Hannah Dudley and Jenna Carlton all contributed as well.

The Patriots worked methodically running plays around the 12- and 8-meter before dumping feeds into big spaces and making accurate shots on goal. Meanwhile the Buccaneers struggled, having difficulty winning draw controls or taking advantage of any possible ground balls turn overs. 

At the half CC lead 12-0.

The Patriots eased back for much of the second half but still maintained offensive pressure and ball control on their opponent. While CC’s defense of Johannah O’ Neil (3 ground balls, 1 caused turnover) Lucy Fell, Halle Burns, Madeline Leahy and Brianna Stout negated any scoring opportunities by Bedford, the Patriot offense added goals by sophomores Lexi Goodhue and Catherine Gouchoe.

Coach Paul Morrison utilzied his entire bench and continured to have his team work plays and stall to eat up the clock as time ran down.

Said Morrison:

"It was a solid game for the team today.The starters took control of the game from the onset. Our reserves got plenty of playing time. It was nice to see Catherine Gouchoe (2 goals) and Mirada Gaehede both score their first varsity goals."

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Down To The Wire- Patriots 12, Warriors 12

With less than a minute remaining it appeared CC’s hard fought battle against the Wayland Girl's lacrosse team would be all in vain.

Just seconds prior the Warriors had won its 15th of 19 draw controls and zipped a goal past Patriot Sophomore goalie Conley Ernst  to take a 12-11 lead. But the Patriots showed dogged determination as Sophomore Jenna Carlton took a pass on the ensuing draw control, raced half the field then dumped off a nice feed to Freshman Hannah Dudley who hit the top left corner tying the game at 12-12.

The final score was indicative of just how well matched theses two team were, as neither team could gain more than a two-goal lead throughout the match. 

CC continued to show it’s enduring strength on defense as Johannah O’ Neil ( 3 ground balls, 3 caused turnovers) and Halle Burns (1 goal, 3 ground balls) provided standout plays at key points in the game to help the Patriots. The CC offense was lead by Captains Kate Wyeth (3 goals) and Allie Barrett (4 goals, 1 assist). Conley Ernst collected 3 saves in net for the Patriots.

The Patriots set the tone early as Becca Olsen (2 goals) took a feed from Barrett, then found the far side of the net. The Warriors followed up with two consecutive goals to take a one goal lead which they managed to maintain throughout the first half.

Patriot goalie Conley Ernst would make three key stops in the half including a tremendous save on a wicked blast from Wayland’s Amy Cunningham on a near breakaway. The Warriors goalie proved equally as challenging to beat, making several saves as the Patriot took a total of nine shots on net. The Warriors went into the half leading 6-5.

Said Morrison:

"We were in a similar situation at the at the end of the first half in our last game when we played Westford on Saturday. We were holding the ball to play for the last shot of the half. In this game (Wayland) we were able to convert on a goal by Ali Barrett to close the gap to one, as opposed to Westford where we turned the ball over and they score to go up by three. To see us convert in a pressure situation just one game later is a great sign of the girls ability to learn from intense game situations."

The second half continued much like the first as each team matched goal for goal.  A key play in the half came when the Warriors, up by two goals, were pressing in the CC end. Wayland appeared to be in scoring position to take a 3 goal lead but CC defender  O’Neil made a great stick check on the  Warrior attacker helping CC to gain ball possession on the caused turnover.

A second big play occurred when Patriot defender Halle Burns collected a ground ball in the CC end, sprinted the length of the field past several Wayland defenders, then drove to goal gaining a free position shot. Burns would collect her first goal of the season but more importantly tied the game at 10-10 with only minutes remaining.

The final minutes were pressure-packed as both teams knew how important this game would be for DCL honors. Barrett would go on to make another crucial Patriot free position shot of to tie the game at 11-11, while the final goal by Dudley earned the tie.

Coach Morrison commented on the play of his upper classmen:

"Captains Kate Wyeth and Allie Barrett provided great leadership in all three zones today. Juniors Emma Mahoney on the defensive end, and Becca Olsen on attack provided at steady presence that gave their teammates confidence as the game became more and more intense. Seniordefenders Lucy Fell and Halle Burns played outstanding games with Lucy minimizing Wayland's best offensive threat, and Halle having the confidence to rush the ball into the attack zone and score a key goal."