LYNN — St. Mary’s girls lacrosse team (6-10) played a near-perfect first half against Georgetown Thursday – so good that coach Brooke Bergeron told her girls not to change a thing after their 4-2 lead.
That said, sometimes, a team just has it going – that was Georgetown (8-9) after halftime. The Royals scored 10 straight in the second half to win 12-4 at Manning Field.
“We still need to work on putting together a full 50 minutes,” Bergeron said. “But considering how young they are, I was happy.”
Young indeed. Of 22 Spartans, 14 are underclassmen. Bergeron said she sensed some “frustration as the game went on” from her younger players.
“Getting a little down on ourselves is a problem, but overall, I’m happy with their performance,” Bergeron said.
She was also happy with her goalie, Payton Quirk (12 saves). The senior captain saved two shots in 90 seconds to open the game – both shots coming from within 10 yards.
“Their goalie is incredible,” Georgetown coach Jessica Upton said. “You have to shoot strong and you have to place it in the net.”
The ever-so-active Quirk – who’s not afraid to run to midfield for an outlet pass – drew a slashing penalty just seconds after robbing another Georgetown shot on the doorstep.
“Honestly, we wouldn’t have even been in the game as long as we were if not for Payton Quirk,” Bergeron said. “She’s got the heart, she’s got the IQ, and she’s certainly got the skill.”
St. Mary’s midfielders have skill, too. Junior captain Kasey Litwin opened the scoring after a timely cut (1-0), and freshman Ava Nason followed to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead just five minutes in.
“We were really moving the ball and seeing the whole field,” Bergeron said.
Upton – whose Royals defeated St. Mary’s 14-8 back in April – credited the Spartans for their hot start.
“St. Mary’s came out strong in the first half and it took us a while for us to find our game [and] collect our game,” Upton said.
Georgetown knotted things 2-2, but then came the highlight. St. Mary’s freshman Abbie Poole blew past two defenders at midfield before turning a help defender inside-out. From there, she sniped one home to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.
“She is fast,” Bergeron said. “She goes coast-to-coast and we’re very lucky to have her. She also works very hard, which is a coach’s dream.”
Nason scored again to make it 4-2, but the smooth sailing stopped there. Like clockwork, Georgetown won faceoffs, established possession, and finished its chances in the second half.
“Winning the draws really helped us,” Upton said. “Then we were able to set up our attack.”
Upton applauded her girls for trying some new things in the second half, and bouncing back from their sluggish start.
“I don’t know if it was nerves, or what was that,” Upton said of the first half. “Then they ran some plays we’ve really been working on. They played a great attack game and kept possession.”
St. Mary’s returns to Manning Field at 5:30 p.m. on Friday for a senior night date with Boston Latin Academy.
