SWAMPSCOTT– It’s often said that lacrosse is a game of runs. Sometimes, however, a team can’t generate a run no matter how hard it tries.
That was the theme for the Swampscott boys lacrosse team in Thursday afternoon’s game between the Big Blue and Beverly at Blocksidge Field. The Panthers came out firing out of the gate and Swampscott never answered, falling 17-1.
Simply put, Swampscott couldn’t get anything going.
“We were missing our most dynamic guy on offense, he had a school obligation so that put us behind the 8-ball early,” Big Blue coach Todd Pierce said. “Our goalie, Tim Perlin, is out hurt. Jake Bartram has stepped in the last couple games and has done well. It just wasn’t his day in the net. We didn’t help him much but we battled.”
On the other side, Panthers coach Jim LaSelva was pleased to see his team put together a solid four-quarter effort in the win.
“We were looking to finally put together our first four-quarter game,” LaSelva said. “That’s something that we’ve struggled with all year. We were finally able to get that in today.”
Beverly was led by a 4-goal effort from Kyle Oliphant. Matt Rawding scored three goals, while Troy Doyle and Andrew Mezza each scored two goals. Foster Smallman, Jake Foster, CC Johnson, Riley Linden, Connor Cademartori and Finn Crocker each scored one goal to round out the scoring.
“It was nice to have multiple goal scorers,” LaSelva said. “Some kids scored their first goals today. The big thing is that motion creates offense and the kids were moving. They really executed well today.”
Swampscott’s lone goal was scored by freshman midfielder Vincent Palmer in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter.
It didn’t take long for Beverly to set the tone. Oliphant scored the game’s first goal 59 seconds into the afternoon, starting a Panthers rally that saw Beverly score five more goals through the first quarter. Smallman and Rawding followed with a goal each and Mezza found the back of the net twice. Doyle capped the first quarter with a goal in the waning seconds, powering the Panthers to a 6-0 lead after one quarter.
“It’s tough to come back from an early deficit with our No. 1 offensive player and our No. 1 goalie missing,” Pierce said. “When we got here it kind of felt like we were up against it today but the kids fought and they played the right way.”
After six minutes of scoreless play in the second quarter, the Panthers cushioned their lead with three more goals. Rawding supplied the first one and Oliphant provided the next two. The Panthers carried a comfortable lead, ahead 9-0 at recess.
“At halftime we knew the outcome was kind of determined,” Pierce said. “I told the kids that I didn’t care what happened in the second half as long as we continued playing the right way, and we did. We’re a young team, we’ll be fine. We’ll grow from it.”
The second half was more of the same. Rowder fired a shot into the back of the net, extending Beverly’s lead to 10-0 with 9:03 to play in the third quarter. Fowler joined in on the scoring 30 seconds later, making it an 11-0 Beverly lead. Oliphant and Cademartori added goals in the third quarter to put the Panthers up 13-0 after three.
While Beverly kept Swampscott’s defense on its toes, Panthers goalie Billy Wholley brought his best effort. The Big Blue didn’t generate many chances but Wholley kept them off the board by denying the few solid looks they created. Wholley finished with five saves.
“Billy made some big saves today,” LaSelva said. “He had a great game.”
Crocker, Linden, Johnson and Doyle each scored once in the fourth quarter to seal the 17-1 win for Beverly. Palmer’s goal in the last seconds of the game saved Swampscott from a shutout.
The Big Blue fell to 2-6 with the loss. Swampscott looks to bounce back into the win column Monday when it hosts Marblehead.
Beverly improved to 3-6 with the win. The Panthers will visit Gloucester Monday.
