CC 10, Algonquin 7
The Concord-Carlisle girl’s lacrosse team continued their working vacation by hosting Algonquin Friday morning at Memorial Field, notching a 10-7 win.
Algonquin aggressively attacked right away, but their number five, Juliet Chapin, who proved to be their major offensive threat, fired a dangerous propel shot that turned the ball over to CC, and sophomore Payton Vaughn took the ball immediately the other way all the way to goal, only to have the goalie catch the tipped shot. Cassidy Hale recovered the ball with a check and fed Hannah Dudley for CC’s first goal.
CC kept the momentum with an immediate draw control by CC’s Madeline Leahy, as she
fed it up for another Hale to Dudley goal. Between false starts by Algonquin and a well-oiled Johanna O’Neil to Dudley draw machine, CC seemed to control most of the draws for the remainder of the game.
Algonquin scored their first goal at the twenty-one minute mark, and then a second on a free position shot with a low bouncer to tie it 2-2. The pressure of CC’s defense led to an intercepted low pass by Leahy who took it all the way to goal to make it 3-2. Another O’Neil to Dudley draw and some quick passing by Hale back to O’Neil gave the fans excitement, as her shot pinged off the post, and a fleet-footed CC defensive duo of Vaughn and Allie Haney sprinted back the length of the field to thwart the Algonquin shooter right in front of the CC net, keeping the lead for what would be the rest of the game.
The next goal came from Dudley scooping a ground ball and drawing a free position shot that whistled past the goalie and deflected down and Chapin then reached back to snag a pass behind her in full stride and threatened a goal, but Brianna Stout and Vaughn drove her to ground without fouling her, causing a turnover.
Back at the Algonquin end CC worked their plays around an Algonquin save and then Grace Andonian scored after drawing a shooting space foul, making it 5-2. Shortly after that, Kylee Bowen stutter stepped with two defenders on her, and suddenly finding herself left alone, took the opportunity to fire home a sidearm shot to make it 6-2.
Algonquin continued to battle for the ball and mount offensive threats to keep it close. After a foul goalie Abby Flynn made a difficult stick-side low save. Algonquin also rifled shots wide and over the CC net, as the CC defense kept up the pressure, with Stout and Vaughn knocking down Algonquin passes and Audrey Hunt winning a ground ball from two Algonquin players.
At the end of the first half, after a last second attempt to get it to the Algonquin end with a crowd-pleasing long pass Stout threw to Vaughn, CC led 6-4.
CC opened the second half strong with a draw control by Dudley, and a free position shot by Molly Dibble that the Algonquin goalie saved. Algonquin then came within one, as Chapin reached up high for a pass right in front of the net and buried it in the top of the net.
Amelia Slade made a save for CC at eighteen minutes, preserving the lead for CC.
A long pass from Dudley hit Dibble right in front, who turned and fired it low, to make it 7-5. Another CC draw from O’Neil to Dudley drew a foul, and then Dudley sped towards the net to draw another foul at the eight meter, which she proceeded to score on despite having three players on her. Algonquin did not give up, with the goalie making an interception, and their players recovering a nice stick check by O’Neil, and fighting in the middle for every ground ball. Slade had to make a save on a quick shot, and a fight for the rebound yielded a free position shot for Algonquin, a low bouncer that Slade saved.
Algonquin’s defense stayed on CC, making a save on O’Neil, before she did score on a pass from Bowen at 10:13. Algonquin fought back to within two again, with a shot by Chapin and then a goal off a nice cut by Algonquin making it 9-7 with six minutes left.
With four minutes left Haney came up with the ball and brought it up field, giving it to Bowen in front, who put it in the net for the final goal, despite the converging defenders. After Vaughn shut down a one-on-one attacker, Algonquin’s last attack ended with another Slade save and CC’s defense keeping the ball to the side of the net as the clock ran down.
Coach Paul Morrison: “It was a hard fought game with Algonquin. They challenged us and we responded to it. Abby and Amelia have been impressive in the goal all season long, and the defense has been a rock. On attack we continue to improve, but we haven’t played to our potential yet.”
Written by Teresa Leahy.
Photos by Andy Dudley and Dave Andonian.