ITEM PHOTO BY KATIE MORRISON
Marblehead’s Amanda Gregory, left, finds a pass out in front of the net, eluding the defense of Walpole’s Emily O’Connell.
By KATIE MORRISON
WELLESLEY — The Marblehead girls lacrosse team hung with South sectional champion Walpole for the first half of Monday’s Division 2 state semifinal at MacDowell Field at Babson College. But a big second half run by the Rebels dashed the Magicians’ hopes of a chance at a state title, as they fell, 15-6.
Walpole was lead by a three-pronged offensive attack, with Emily Curtis (5 goals), Alison Foley (5 goals) and Celia Walsh (3 goals). The trio netted one apiece to give the Rebels an early 3-0 lead five minutes into the game.
Sophomore Hadley Carlton got the Magicians on the board at 17:30, and soon after, Amanda Gregory picked up a ground ball and lobbed a pass to Caroline Driscoll in front of the net. Driscoll put it in, and then Grace Arthur scored right after the ensuing draw to tie the game at three.
From that point on, the first half was fast-paced, evenly-matched and back-and-forth. Curtis and Lucie Poulin exchanged goals midway through the half. Curtis scored twice more and Foley added another to give Walpole a three-goal lead, but Arthur scored her second to get Marblehead back within one. Melanie Weber’s goal put the Rebels up, 8-5, at the half.
Marblehead was far from out of it. But in the second half, Walpole won the opening draw and never looked back.
Walpole possessed the ball for 18 minutes of the half, and the Magicians were stuck trying to jostle the ball loose and earn a turnover any way they could.
That included pulling their goalie, Brittany Lydon, in order to beef up the defense and give Marblehead a chance to get back on offense.
“We were doing everything we could to get the ball back while they were stalling,” said Marblehead coach Annie Pugh. “We could have kept the score tight and keep our goalie in there, but our game plan was to get the ball back.”
The Magicians refused to quit. Once they got the ball back and a chance to make something happen on offense, Driscoll scored her second of the game. Unfortunately for Marblehead, that goal came with 10 seconds left.
“The end result was not reflective of our season as a whole, but the effort on the field was, hands down, the same effort we’ve been putting forth all season,” said Pugh. “Walpole, (has) some very talented players and they had a great season. They held the ball for 18 minutes and played keep-away. I think that it’s a possession game, and they played it smart, so hats off to their coach. We knew it’d be a battle coming in, and they came out and their game plan won.”
The Magicians won their first D2 North title against Ipswich last week, and Pugh credits her seniors (captains Corinne Mayle, Brittany Lydon and Kylie Cronin, as well as Kaitlyn Bernato) with leading the team this far.
“I’m going to miss their leadership. They’ve been here, and they led us to this point,” said Pugh. “I’m really proud of the hard work they put out on the field today.”
With the vast majority of the roster returning next year, Pugh knows the Magicians are going to make noise in the tournament for years to come.
“We’re young. We’re here to stay,” she said. “They’re hungry, and they know what it takes to win. We will be back.”
