Girls varsity lacrosse fought hard, but were ultimately defeated 9-8 in an overtime thriller with the Beverly Panthers at Beverly High School on Wednesday, May 27th.
The game started badly for the Warriors in the first quarter, with the Panthers quickly scoring 4 goals.
Despite this, the Warriors were able to rally in the second quarter, with two goals from senior Amalia Lindgren-Palm and one from sophomore Emma Hassenstein. This offensive effort, in combination with several key saves from junior Carinn Bueno and shutdown defense, allowed the Warriors to end the half only down 4-3. According to Lindgren-Palm, staying calm was the most important factor in their comeback.
“With the help of our coaches and our captain, we were more motivated to come back,” Lindgren-Palm said. “We just looked to the next play and tried to move forward the best we could.”
For the rest of the game, the Warriors contended with the Panthers, with both teams exchanging the lead. Junior Serena Yankowitz said that the comeback was extremely exhilarating for the team and was fueled by Bueno and the defense.
“Coming back from being down from so much was really exciting,” Yankowitz said. “[Bueno] had a really good game, and I think all of our D was playing really well.”
By the end of the fourth quarter, the Warriors were tied, 7-7, and in the final minutes, Yankowitz scored one more, beating three defenders, to take the lead, 8-7. At this point, the game seemed all but over, but due to a turnover, the Panthers were able to recover the ball in the last thirty seconds, scoring to send the game to overtime.
Lindgren-Palm, who scored four goals throughout the game, said that her success felt rewarding, a payoff of the hard work she had put in throughout the season.
“It felt like all that I had worked for throughout the season really paid off,” Lindgren-Palm said. “But, mostly, I was just thinking about my teammates, and all the memories that we spent, and how meaningful each goal would be towards keeping our team together for just another day.”
Coming out into overtime, the Panthers won the draw, and the game seemed to be over for the Warriors, but Bueno was able to make one more save, clearing the ball to the other side.
After this, the Warriors were unable to score, and the Panthers scored the game-winner in the last seconds of the period. With this loss, the Warriors were knocked out of the MIAA playoff tournament. The game was bittersweet, Lindgren-Palm said.
“Anytime I get to spend with the girls is really special and meaningful to me, because I’m a senior, and I love playing lacrosse,” Lindgren-Palm said. “But, it was also pretty sad, because that is going to be our last game together, and I’m going to miss everybody next year.”
