LACONIA – It wasn’t the start they were hoping for but after the first quarter the Laconia boys’ lacrosse team pushed back in the defensive end and turned a one-goal deficit into an 8-2 win over Trinity in the Division III season opener on Monday.
After a scoreless first quarter, Trinity’s Ethan Messner put one by Laconia netminder Stephen Towers (10 saves) on a low wraparound shot from behind the crease to go ahead 1-0. Laconia Head Coach Steve McDonough called a timeout and the Sachems responded with three unanswered goals for a 3-1 lead at halftime.
Riley Roy scored the game-tying goal for Laconia on a top-shelf shot set up by Jake Steele about a minute after Messner’s goal. Jake Ellis gave the Sachems a 2-1 lead four minutes later and Steele added a third goal for Laconia (1-0) with 2:51 left in the first half.
Those three were enough to win – Trinity defenseman Cam Miclette, an All-State Second Team selection last spring, scored the Pioneer’s second goal in the final two minutes of the game – but the Sachems didn’t let up on offense and scored six more in the second half, including four in the third quarter.
“Once we started running the offense and making our cuts and screens, it just worked like the offense is supposed to work,” Roy said. “Now we’ve got to go into practice humble tomorrow and get it done.”
Trinity (0-1) controlled the first quarter and didn’t run into much trouble cycling the ball around the net while waiting for an open look. At the other end, the Sachems’ chances were limited and ended quickly as they tried to score off transitions.
That all changed in the second quarter after Trinity went ahead and McDonough pulled his team in for a timeout. The Sachems came out with more aggression in the defensive end and forced Trinity out of striking distance. When they regained possession, Laconia’s midfielders and attackers showed patience on offense.
“We want to do more in transition but … if it’s not there we’ve got to be smart enough to pull out and have a good possession,” McDonough said. “Our kids really started to do that.”
Parker Minor and Ryan Chiasson finished with two goals apiece and Cole Reid added one by the final horn.
Sophomore defenseman Garrett Whitney caught McDonough’s attention with his aggressive work against Trinity’s attackmen. Whitney scooped up a pair of groundballs to lead the defense and recorded one shot on goal.
“He had a coming out game today and showed us what he’s capable of,” McDonough said. “I was really impressed with what Garrett brought to the table.”
Laconia finished the game with 14 groundballs to Trinity’s 11.
Trinity, which entered last season’s playoffs as the No. 3 seed with a 12-2 record, saw its best defenseman go down in the second half with a leg injury. Owen Desrochers, an All-State Second Team selection in 2016, was carted to the sideline after it appeared he twisted his knee around midfield. He did not return.
Trinity Coach Mike Martinez said the nature of the injury appeared to be a hyperextension in Desrocher’s knee.
“We’re hoping (he’s out) just two to three weeks,” Martinez said. “Hopefully it’s not the ACL and he’s done for the season.”
Garrett Kondeck started in net for Trinity and finished with 10 saves, including five in the first quarter. Owen McNichols entered in the fourth quarter and made six saves.
“If Laconia didn’t get us into unsettled situations, and you saw it was 3-1 at halftime, we probably would have stayed close,” Martinez said. “We knew we were going to be able to hold them to somewhere around six or seven (goals). Eight’s not a bad day, especially when you lose your best defenseman.”
Laconia is back on its home turf Wednesday to host Coe-Brown. It will be the Bears’ first game of the season.
(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3339, nstoico@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)
Derryfield 12, Bow 1
Key players: Bow – Mason Grasso (goal), Thomas Rolla (assist), Chase Chamberlin (14 saves)
Highlights/key moments: After trailing 11-0 at halftime, the Falcons dug deep and played the defending champions even, 1-1, in the second half.
Coach’s quote: “Obviously, playing the defending champs in your opener is a tall task and (Derryfield) clearly reloaded. I was proud of the competitive level we showed in the second half. At this point, those are the small victories that we’re looking to build on and take into our next game. We’ll be just fine if we learn from this and keep working at it.” – Bow’s Chris Gaudrea
Records: Derryfield 1-0; Bow 0-1
Concord 16, Man. Central 4
Key players: Concord – Becca Proulx (9 goals), Jess Nelson (3 goals), Delana Erickson (2 goals), Ananya Nadeau (goal), Maggie Connolly (goal)
Highlights/key moments: The Tide got nine goals from Proulx, leading Concord to a season-opening victory.
Coach’s quote: “We had a slow start with a lot of dropped passes in the beginning of the game, but then we were able to pick up the pace and intensity as a team to secure the win.” – Concord’s Steph Johnson
Records: Concord 1-0; Man. Central 0-1
MV 12, Man. Memorial 11
Key players: MV – Brittany Leonard (15 saves), Talia Dinger (4 goals), Abby Grandmaison (3 goals, 6 assists), Kallie Fisher (2 goals), Chloe Rattee (2 goals, great offensive possession), Madyn Kenney (goal)
Highlights/key moments: The Pride opened the season with a victory on the road against the Crusaders.
Coach’s quote: “It was a great start to a new season. We are going to take this and continue to build off of it.” – MV’s Laurynn Chalifour
Records: MV 1-0; Man. Memorial 0-1
Bow 12, Kearsarge 9
Key players: Kearsarge – Leslie Angus (5 goals, assist), Brie Von Beren (2 goals)
Highlights/key moments: The Falcons defeated the Cougars in North Sutton in the season-opener for both teams.
Records: Bow 1-0; Kearsarge 0-1
Hopkinton 18, Hinsdale 0
Key players: Hopkinton – Alexis Blanchette (3 IP, 8 strikeouts), Megan Blanchette (2 IP, 4 strikeouts; 2-for-2, 4 runs), Katie Meserve (2-for-5, 3 RBI)
Highlights/key moments: The Blanchette sisters dominated in the circle, combining on a one-hit shutout and striking out 12 of the 15 Pacer batters they faced. The Hawks scored in every inning except the fifth.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice to be outside and I was very pleased with our pitchers and catchers. The bats will come.” – Hopkinton’s Dan Meserve
Records: Hopkinton 1-0; Hinsdale 0-1
Hopkinton 20, Hinsdale 2, 5 inn.
Key players: Hopkinton – Ben McManus (3-for-5, double, 4 RBI), Mike Baer (3 runs, 3 RBI), Caleb Yianakopolos (2 hits, 3 runs), Dustin Rose (2 hits, 2 RBI), Colby Marshall (2 IP, hit, walk, 3 strikeouts; 2 hits, 2 RBI), Sam Crawford (3 IP, hit, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts; hit)
Highlights/key moments: Freshmen Crawford and Marshall made their career debuts on the mound and had their first varsity hits, helping the Hawks to a commanding victory in their opener. The Hawks had 13 hits (including five from freshmen) and took advantage of nine Hinsdale errors. Hopkinton scored five runs in the second inning, seven in the third and six in the fourth to put away the Pacers.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice for us to get out and get some quality pitching from both of our freshmen. We made plays, executed well, it was a pretty good opening for us.” – Hopkinton’s Dave Chase
Records: Hopkinton 1-0; Hinsdale 0-1
Boys’ tennis
Concord 9, Man. Memorial 0
Key players: Concord – Aidan Connor (singles win), Adam Bryant (singles win), Sebastian Hart-Meyer (singles win), Kevin Neary (singles win), Ethan Crandlemire (singles win), Anders Norton (singles win)
Highlights/key moments: The Tide won the first five singles matches with 8-0 victories and Norton won 8-1 at No. 6, leading the Tide to a commanding victory in its opening match. Crandlemire and Norton earned their first career victories in singles and teamed up to win at No. 3 doubles. Connor and Bryant won at No. 1 doubles and Hart-Meyer and Neary won at No. 3 doubles.
Coach’s quote: “It was nice to get some outdoor tennis in, but despite the scores, we’ve got plenty of room for improvement.” – Concord’s Dave Page
Records: Concord 1-0; Man. Memorial 0-3
Hollis/Brookline 9, Bishop Brady 0
Key players: Bishop Brady – Harry Zha
Highlights/key moments: Zha played well in his singles match, but the Green Giants fell to the Cavaliers.
Records: Hollis/Brookline 1-0; Bishop Brady 0-2
Coe-Brown 5, Oyster River 4
Key players: Coe- Brown – Gareth Owen (8-6 win), Nate Griffiths (9-8, 12-10 tiebreaker win), Nick Sanderson (8-6 win), Donovan Corless (8-6 win), Don MacCallum (8-3)
Highlights/key moments: Griffiths won a close match in a tiebreaker, giving the securing the first victory of the season for the Bears, giving them a 5-1 lead through singles play.
Records: Coe-Brown 1-1; Oyster River 0-1
Bow 6, Conant 3
Key players: Bow – Brayden Binder (8-3 win at No. 1), Evan Alfano (8-2 win at No. 2), Caleb Olson (8-0 win at No. 3), Jonathan Cook (8-4 win at No. 4), Neeraj Naik (8-4 win at No. 5), Olson/Cook (8-1 win at No. 2 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: The Falcons took a 5-1 lead through singles to win their second match of the season.
Records: Bow 2-0; Conant 1-2
Inter-Lakes 6, White Mtns. 3
Key players: I-L – Noah Sullivan (8-0 win at No. 1), Gable Busby (8-0 win at No. 2), Nate Sullivan (8-2 win at No. 4), Sam Noe (8-2 at No. 5), Stephen Bean (8-2 win at No. 6), Noe/Bean (8-4 win at No. 2 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: The Lakers won five of six singles matches to win their opening match.
Coach’s quote: “Inter-Lakes played well for its first day on a tennis court this season.” – I-L’s Bill West
Records: I-L 1-0; White Mtns. 0-1
Kearsarge 5, Sanborn 4
Key players: Kearsarge – Tyler Valovic (singles win, doubles win), Tucker Valovic (singles win, doubles win), Charlie O’Connor (singles win and doubles win), Jake Long (doubles win)
Highlights/key moments: O’Connor and Long came back from a 5-1 deficit to win their No. 2 doubles match in a tiebreaker, 9-8, 7-2, lifting the Cougars to a victory in their first match of the season. Long moved up a couple spots in the ladder to No. 2 doubles due to missing players. Tyler Valovic, Tucker Valovic and O’Connor won the top three singles matches and the Valovic brothers won their No. 1 doubles match.
Coach’s quote: “(O’Connor and Long’s) win after a 5-1 deficit made my day.” – Kearsarge’s Lynn Miller
Records: Kearsarge 1-0; Sanborn 1-2
Concord 9, Man. Memorial 0
Key players: Concord – Alex Killinger (8-0 win), Sabrina Hart-Meyer (8-0 win), Abby Pope (8-0 win)
Highlights/key moments: The Tide had three players shutout their opponents in singles to cruise to a road victory in their season opener. Lydia Yen (8-3 win) also played well in her singles match.
Coach’s quote: “All the girls remained focused and steady on a day where they might have been distracted. A good match to get our season off on the right foot.” – Concord’s PJ Cistulli
Records: Concord 1-0; Man. Memorial 0-3
Oyster River 9, Coe-Brown 0
Key players: Coe-Brown – Megan Wimsatt (lost in a tiebreaker, 9-8, 7-4, at No. 3 singles)
Highlights/key moments: Oyster River played clean tennis, keeping the ball in play and committing few unforced errors, dealing the Bears a tough loss in their opener.
Coach’s quote: “The Coe-Brown girls gained valuable gameplay experience today.” – Coe-Brown’s Mark Struthers
Records: Oyster River 1-0; Coe-Brown 0-1
Plymouth 9, Pembroke 0
Key players: Pembroke – Kaitlyn Thompson and Jaden Russell (No. 1 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: Thompson and Russell played well in the top doubles match, but the undermanned Spartans fell to the Bobcats.
Coach’s quote: “This was our first match at home and it felt good to be playing outdoors instead of in a gym. Plymouth played a solid match for the win.” – Pembroke’s David Goulet
Records: Plymouth 1-0; Pembroke 0-1
Bow 9, Wilton-Lyndeborough 0
Key players: Bow – Claire Mulvaney (8-5 win), Nandita Kasireddy (8-1 win), Gwen Molind (8-3 win), Izzy Urbina (8-4 win), Emma Conley (8-2 win), Isabelle Dolcino (8-0 win), Mulvaney/Kasireddy (8-1 doubles win), Molind/Urbina (8-1 doubles win), Lara Chern and Miah Munroe (8-0 doubles win)
Highlights/key moments: Chern and Munroe earned their first career victories in a 8-0 sweep at No. 3 doubles, helping the Falcons to a decisive victory in their season opener.
Records: Bow 1-0; Wilton-Lyndeborough 0-1
Sanborn 5, Kearsarge 4
Key players: Kearsarge – Morganne Flinkstrom (8-2 win at No. 3 singles), Felicia McSweeney (9-7 tiebreaker win at No. 5 singles), Som Sapharee (8-5 win at No. 6 singles), Flinkstrom/McSweeney (8-6 win at No. 2 doubles)
Highlights/key moments: The match was tied 4-4, but Sanborn won the No. 1 doubles match, 9-7, breaking a 6-6 tie, to claim the victory.
Coach’s quote: “It was a gorgeous day for our first match of the season and our players first time getting to play outdoors. The team played very well with closely fought matches throughout the lineup and many come-from-behind matches.” – Kearsarge’s Laura Joslin-King
Records: Sanborn 1-0; Kearsarge 0-1
John Stark 3, Souhegan 0
Key players: John Stark – Griffin Caswell (setter), Robert Blouin (outside offense), Joseph Simeone (outside offense), Robbie Yelle (middle blocking), Noah Payeur (middle blocking), Justin Bowen (aggressive defense), Johan French (aggressive defense)
Highlights/key moments: The Generals jumped out to an early lead thanks to a strong team defense, winning the first, 25-11. Souhegan made a run in the second set, but John Stark still pulled it out, 25-17. The Generals closed out the match with a 25-14 third set.
Coach’s quote: “I was really impressed with how well our veterans and new players formed a cohesive unit in their first match. It’s a reflection of their team-first attitude both in practices and games. They fought hard to keep plays alive and made smart decisions in all facets of the game. Great start to the season.” – John Stark’s Dave Simeone
Records: John Stark 1-0; Souhegan 0-1