It may not have been what most would consider the best weather for a lacrosse game – wet, rainy and fairly chilly – but Anna DeVylder’s Merrimack Valley (1-4) girls came into the game prepared against Spaulding (0-6), pulling out an 11-10 victory, the Pride’s first win of the season.
“We practiced for almost two hours in the rain yesterday,” Pride Coach DeVylder said. “The girls looked excited to play in these less-than-ideal conditions, and they did a great job.”
Merrimack Valley’s season looks as if it has been held up to a mirror at this point, with the team starting 0-4 the past two seasons, with the team’s first win coming against Spaulding both times.
Yesterday’s game looked to be well in hand with five minutes left as MV held an 11-7 lead.
But, a strong Spaulding attack brought the game back to 11-10 with only a couple minutes left. With seven seconds left in the game, Pride junior goalie Brittany Leonard stopped a final Red Raiders attack to secure the victory.
“The girls went right out there ready to fight and and their confidence showed,” DeVylder said.
The scoring was balanced with goals by Talia Dinger, Brannigan McNeil, Ashley DeMichelis and Madyn Kenney. DeVylder also called out freshman defender Christa DeMichelis for her strong play.
MV heads to Portsmouth on Wednesday, looking to pick up the first road win of the year.
From coaches’ reports
John Stark 3, Mascenic 0
Key players: John Stark – Tyler Bossart and Cody Lemay (strong outside hitting), Sawyer Lemay and Robert Blouin (nice game management), Aedan McCarron and Robbie Yelle (major wall set in the middle), Griffin Caswell (anchored the defense)
Highlights/key moments: John Stark started out slowly in the first two sets, but regrouped for 25-15 and 25-13 wins. The Generals closed out the last set and the match with a 25-20 win.
Coach’s quote: “We were definitely a little rusty after the vacation, but we did what we needed to do to win … This is a big week and it’s good to start it with a win.” – John Stark’s Dave Simeone
Records: John Stark 4-3; Mascenic 1-5
Hanover 7, Bishop Brady 2
Key players: Bishop Brady – Sydney Herrinton (win at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles), Ravalika Damerla (win at No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Herrington and Damerla came back from a 3-5 deficit to win, 8-5.
Coach’s quote: “Hanover is one of the two best teams in the state and played like it today.” – Bishop Brady’s Lee Herrington
Records: Hanover 6-0; Bishop Brady 2-5