Boys’ lax team rides strong D past Oliver Ames, Milford
By Jay Turner
Senior captain Matt Bagley anchors a stingy Bulldog defense. (Mike Barucci photo)
It was a low scoring but productive week for the CHS boys’ lacrosse team as the Bulldogs climbed over .500 with back-to-back wins over Oliver Ames (4-3) and Milford (7-0).
Although neither opponent has looked all that formidable this season, head coach Bill Bendell was quick to note that division matchups are always tough — especially games against Oliver Ames, one of the Bulldogs’ biggest rivals.
“OA always plays us close,” said Bendell. “No matter how they’re playing, we know it’s going to be a good game.”
And that proved to be the case again on Monday, with the Tigers battling back to make it a 3-3 game in the fourth quarter before sophomore Eddie McCabe ended the comeback bid with his game-winning goal at the 5:50 mark.
From that point on, the Bulldogs dominated possession, and the defense stood tall over the final 40 seconds to help Canton escape with a win.
Team scoring leader Tommy Galvin finished with a goal and three assists, including an assist on McCabe’s game winner, and Ben O’Neill and Paul Swart added one goal apiece.
On defense, standout performers included senior captain Matt Bagley, who has been a force so far this season, and senior captain and goalie Ben Lodge, who racked up 15 saves in one of his best performances to date. Freshman Jona Sutton and senior Quinn Merrigan also came up big for Canton, as did long stick midfielder Tyler Murphy, who played arguably his best game of the season.
The Bulldog defense looked similarly sharp at Milford on Thursday, and Lodge was a beast in the cage, tallying 18 saves en route to his first shutout of the season.
O’Neill paced the offense with three goals and three assists, and Galvin finished with a pair of goals in the 7-0 win. Senior Casey Dwyer added one goal and one assist, and junior Billy McLaughlin scored his first varsity goal. Swart and Austin Zannino each had one assist.
Although pleased with the Bulldogs’ performance, Bendell said the offense remains a work in progress.
“We had a lot of opportunities early to bury some goals that we didn’t put away,” he said after the Milford game. “We’re doing a great job of getting open, making a smart cut and catching the ball, but then we’re not making the shot.”
The good news, according to Bendell, is that the young offensive core has plenty of talent. “At some point,” he said, “the light bulb is going to go off, and that will be huge for us.”
In the meantime, the road is about to get a lot tougher with games scheduled this week against North Attleboro and nonleague Milton. The Bulldogs (4-3) will then host division rival Foxboro next Monday at 6:30 p.m., followed by a key road matchup next Wednesday against Kelly-Rex Division leader King Philip.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=25187
Posted by Jay Turner
on Apr 24 2014. Filed under High School, Sports.
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