Fenwick comes back late, tops Swampscott

PEABODY — It might have been the first game of the season for both Swampscott (0-1) and Bishop Fenwick (1-0) girls lacrosse, but the Crusaders turned in a “game of the year” candidate, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat the Big Blue, 7-6.

With 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter, Bishop Fenwick trailed 6-3 after Swampscott’s Bridget Urbano rifled a shot off the post and in to extend the Big Blue’s lead.

Despite being down three goals, the Crusaders didn’t give up and started their comeback. Bishop Fenwick’s Breanna Genzale (4 goals) scored three times in the final quarter to tie the game at six. Then, with 38 seconds left, Bishop Fenwick’s Camille Yanofsky, after drawing a penalty, took the shot and found the back of the net to seal the victory.

“What was special about the win today, Camille is our low defender. She used her legs to get the ball over on our side of the field to be a good teammate, and it ended with her having an opportunity and she finished it,” Bishop Fenwick head coach Jill Robinson said. “It’s good for her to get that confidence early. She’s newer to the starting lineup.”

Bishop Fenwick graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that finished 18-3, but Robinson enjoyed what she saw from her team, especially in the final minutes.

“Our team is young and we have a lot of new starters on the field. For them to be down 3-4 goals at a time and not give up and play the whole game is exactly what I want to see as a coach. We had sophomores and freshmen on the field, so it was good to see,” Robinson said. “We cleaned up in the second half, which is what I expected since this is our first game. That fourth quarter, specifically the last four minutes, was all hustle, and they played like they wanted it and we outplayed them. I’m very excited about the performance.”

Swampscott’s head coach Al Eaton said his team didn’t make enough plays to close the game out and that fatigue set in late.

“That was our game to lose. Unfortunately, we couldn’t put it together at the end,” Eaton said. “I think we just got tired and it affected us mentally. We did a really great job on the ride, and that becomes exhausting, especially if you do a good job on it.”

Swampscott had a 4-1 lead at halftime and led 5-3 going into the final quarter.

Despite not being able to hold onto its lead, there were positives for Swampscott, according to Eaton.

“I saw some flashes from some of the players doing things that I’m surprised to see them pull off. It’s just a matter of them stitching it all together and understanding the system,” Eaton said. “We haven’t had as many practices as I would have liked by now, so we still have some stuff to work out, like our sets. Our defense is pretty strapped down, but we need to continue to work on our offense. It’s a young team, but once we find our identity and stitch it all together, I think we can be a real force.”

Another player who stood out was Bishop Fenwick goalie Eve Eastman, who was aggressive in net and came up with timely saves and critical interceptions.

“She’s like our eighth defender out there. She forced like 4-5 turnovers when they were trying to pick up their cutters. She has no fear,” Robinson said. “She’s in that net saving the ball, and she’s out of there before you can even figure out where the ball is, and that’s exactly what I want. If she’s going to be so aggressive and it works for her, why would I change that? I’m super happy she was able to step up. She was our JV goalie last year, and she’s doing a great job so far.”

Robinson praised her upperclassmen for their leadership and believes the team’s ability to accept constructive criticism and apply it in games will benefit them in the long run.

“I have a solid junior class and a really great senior leadership class. They just hold the standards really high for what we expect every day in practice. They’re super helpful for the younger girls, and they take time to explain things to them,” Robinson said. “I think one of our best attributes as a team is our unity. Our girls are so good at taking constructive criticism and using it in the game. That’s what is going to help us fill the shoes from last year’s team.”

Swampscott’s Quinn Kelleher, Cecilia Tripp, Fiona Keaney, Victoria Pierro (2), and Urbano all scored for the Big Blue.

Bishop Fenwick got goals from Genzale (4), Yanofsky, Cori McMeniman and Sophie Koles.

Swampscott will look to bounce back Wednesday when the Big Blue host Methuen at 4:30 p.m. at Blocksidge Field. Bishop Fenwick travels to Marblehead on Thursday for a 4 p.m. game.