LYNN — There aren’t many games where a team is happy giving up a last-second goal, but in Sunday’s Agganis girls lacrosse game at Manning Field, a tie game was just fine.
In the 11-11 final, team South led team North by a goal after Winchester’s Carly Geddes tucked one with 39 seconds remaining – despite a defender draped all over her near the crease.
From there, and after a few takeaways on each side, North’s Audrey Conover of Pentucket beat the buzzer with a finish around the crease.
When asked if he had a gameplan heading in, North coach Todd Conover of Pentucket smiled and said, “Not at all.”
That said, down a goal with 30 seconds remaining, he admits to yelling on the sideline.
“The girls did a great job progressing,” Todd Conover said. “It was just an all-out scrum and we somehow came up with it, and then Audrey got the shot off in time.”
South coach Michelle Roach of Peabody – a 2003 Agganis scholarship recipient with St. Mary’s – wasn’t too upset with the goal, either.
“I had a blast,” said Roach, who grew up down the street from Manning Field. “I’m from Lynn, so Agganis has always been something I’ve really looked up to.”
After a 5-4 halftime score with North on top, it paved the way for a second-half showdown between the game’s MVPs: North’s Maddie McDonald of Essex Tech; South’s Tessa Geddes of Winchester.
McDonald opened the second half with three goals in less than six minutes as North jumped ahead 8-4.
“Totally deserving. I wish I had her on my high-school team,” Todd Conover said. “She is a fast, aggressive player.”
In a déjà vu situation – just on the other side of the field – Geddes scored three in a row to cut North’s lead to 9-8.
“Tessa is a phenomenal player,” Roach said. “She’s going to BU and is definitely going to have some great success there.”
Her sister, Carly Geddes, tied the game 9-9 with 8:30 remaining. From there, South’s Kaylee Rich of Danvers and Audrey Conover traded goals to set up the last-minute finish.
“You don’t have to do much as a coach. Everyone knows what to do,” Todd Conover said. “You could see these girls just knowing the rhythm and knowing where the other person was going to be, and all that stuff that comes with chemistry.”
South’s Payton Quirk of St. Mary’s impressed with several key saves. She robbed a low shot in the opening two minutes to set the tone.
“I had never met her,” Roach said. “Payton played very well.”
Although loose, Roach and Todd Conover each had strategies heading in. Roach talked with her team about pulling the ball to one side of the field before finding the open player, while Todd Conover looked to set up a motion offense.
“But they’re great leaders in each of their schools and know what they’re doing,” Roach said.
“We had a quick little huddle-up,” Todd Conover said. “They said, ‘Yeah, sounds good.’”
And in the end, Sunday came with 22 goals, skill level that didn’t disappoint, and, of course, the handshake line.
“It was competition in a fun atmosphere. It’s just cool to kind of come together for everything that this stands for in the Agganis game,” Todd Conover said. “Keep up the competitive spirit, but at the same time, smiles and handshakes afterwards. Who could argue with the score, right?”
