Girls’ lacrosse heading into postseason with momentum

The Canton High girls’ lacrosse team finished the season strong with two wins, 8-7 over Mansfield and 10-8 against Ursuline Academy. The girls finished the regular season with a 10-5-1 record, solidifying the team’s season-long goal of attaining double digits in the wins column.

The win against Mansfield was particularly special because it was the first time in the program’s six-year history that Canton has beaten the Hornets. Although the score was close, the girls always maintained the upper hand, remaining at least one goal ahead of Mansfield throughout the game. Coach Chris Murtagh attributed the girls’ success against Mansfield to a focus on ball control and transition game.

“We knew if we could control the ball, we could control the game,” he said. “We were able to control the ball after every draw.”

Murtagh said that during the week leading up to the Mansfield game, the Bulldogs recalled the first time they played the Hornets last season. Canton lost that game, but only by two goals.

“When the game finished last year, I remember the girls saying it was like getting a win,” Murtagh said. “They remembered that game and realized they could stay with Mansfield and actually beat them.”

In the second game of the week, the Bulldogs were happy to come out with a win, but in retrospect they thought they should have won by a larger margin, Murtagh said.

“Ursuline played a fantastic game against us,” he said. “Looking into the future with the state tournament, we have to make sure we play better.”

Murtagh described the game against Ursuline as a wake-up call that no matter what team they play, they need to maintain a high standard of play.

Senior captain Ally Boudreau was once again the team’s top scorer with 11 goals. Other scorers included junior Sarah Healey (3), freshman Meghan Lennon (2), and sophomores Emma Compagna and Meaghan McKenna with one goal each.

Reflecting on the regular season, Murtagh said he’s proud the girls were able to attain the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the season.

“This is our precedent season,” he said. “We’re not done yet.”

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=2511

Posted by Jeffrey Cattel on May 27 2010. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.