PEABODY — Bishop Fenwick’s girls lacrosse team (17-2) has enjoyed success this season – and then some.
Most recently ranked No. 9 in the MIAA’s Division 3 power rankings, the Crusaders have their eyes set on the postseason thanks to a strong defense and balanced attack.
But Coach Jill Robinson, now in her third season, credited last year as the building block for this spring.
“We didn’t have anything to lose last year since we couldn’t compete in the playoffs. I put a lot of faith into our freshmen last year, who are sophomores now. I have five starting sophomores,” Robinson said. “Coming into this season with such a strong sophomore class that had that experience – and putting them together with our strong senior class – they came in already knowing what to expect. It really helped us out.”
The balance between underclassmen and upperclassmen has proved pivotal, but it was a game against Bishop Feehan earlier this season that made the Crusaders believe in themselves.
“At the beginning of the season, we had a team discussion about our goals. The two main goals the girls set for themselves were to be CCL (Catholic Central League) champions and to make the playoffs — both of which we’ve accomplished,” Robinson said. “Early in the season, we played Bishop Feehan, which I don’t think we’d beaten in probably 10-plus years. Going into that game, everyone was ready and we ended up beating them. I think the score was 6-4 and after that, we became the team to beat in the league. No matter where we went, teams were pumped to beat us. Getting the confidence to beat a team like Feehan, the girls just got pumped and carried that with them throughout the season.”
You could say defense wins championships, and for Fenwick, it’s been top-notch. No team has scored more than seven goals against the Crusaders all spring, and Robinson credits that to zone defense.
“We run a zone defense where it’s more of a team defense, rather than waiting for a one-on-one,” she said. “Our defense has been hanging in there and giving us our confidence.
“At the top of our defense is senior captain Francesca Herbert. She’s really talented at picking up the girl with the ball, flipping her direction, and slowing things down. That gives the rest of our team behind her time to settle into the zone and communicate about what’s going on with the other team’s offense,” Robinson said. “Our backer in the zone is sophomore Cori McMeniman. Anyone who sees her play would probably assume she’s a senior. Her lacrosse IQ is through the roof. I don’t have to explain things to her that others may need — she just knows what to do.”
Then there’s senior goalie Courtney McKenzie, whom Robinson described as “unreal.” McKenzie has made 98 saves this season with a 59 percent save percentage.
Offensively, the Crusaders share the load and have outscored opponents 182-69 this season.
“Captain Kiley Bloom is a senior attack player who has 79 points so far. A big part of her game is assisting — she has 47 assists this season. Molly Sullivan has 59 points with 50 goals,” Robinson said. “Breanna Genzale has 45 goals and Hannah Bettencourt has 36. We have a handful of girls among the top scorers on the North Shore.”
Robinson credits her seniors for setting the tone. She also praised her three captains: Bettencourt, Bloom, and Herbert.
“The senior class I’m working with now consists of seven girls, and all seven have been starters. They have great attitudes and have totally bought into the system we’re running. That trickled down to the younger girls,” Robinson said. “Right now, we’re in a really good position with a really solid team.
“All three of my captains are incredible kids with great work ethics. Even before they were captains, they were always at the winter league and always doing the workouts,” Robinson added. “They’ve got a great following from the underclassmen and they’ve done great things for our program. They’re going to leave behind a strong culture for our team to continue.”
Fenwick wraps up its regular season with Saturday’s home game against Gloucester beginning at noon.
