Unbeaten streak at 6 for red-hot girls’ lax

Senior captain Jackie Merrigan has been a key to the Bulldogs’ fast start. (Mike Barucci photo)

Update: The CHS girls’ lacrosse team made it seven wins in a row with victories this week over North Attleboro (13-6) and Norwood (17-12).

With three more victories last week, the Canton High girls’ lacrosse team is off to its best start in years, holding steady with division rival Foxboro at 5-0-1 overall.

While the Bulldogs have not exactly been dominant in many of their early wins, head coach Chris Murtagh has been impressed with their resiliency and poise — qualities that were evident once again in comeback wins over both Oliver Ames and Milford.

“We don’t panic,” said the veteran head coach after Thursday’s thrilling, 15-12 win over Milford at home. “We just figure out what we’re going to do. One thing about these girls is they have shown the ability to play as a team. Half the time what we find out is that, when we’re down, we’re beating ourselves.”

Trailing 11-8 after a tough first half, the Bulldogs decided that the key to beating the Hawks and their talented goalie was changing the position of their shots — putting them waist high and above — and the move paid off to perfection as the Canton girls embarked on a 7-1 run to seal the victory.

“It was a battle at the start,” said Murtagh, “but when we started coming back on them they started breaking down.”

Offensively, the Bulldogs were led by junior Mary McNeil, who continued her torrid start with a team-high five goals. Senior captain Jackie Merrigan added four goals in the win, while Lindsey Nolte finished with two. Sam Sullivan, Shannon Proctor, Mary Nee, and Kelsey Trerice each had one goal for the victors.

Earlier in the week against Oliver Ames, the Bulldogs let an early lead evaporate and actually found themselves trailing in the second half before battling back to win 13-12.

“Oliver Ames is having a tough year, but whenever we play them, no matter what’s happening, it just turns out to be a battle,” said Murtagh afterwards.

McNeil had a team-high four goals, including the game winner with just over two minutes left in the second half. Senior Kellie Stigas also had four goals for Canton and junior Erin Proctor had two. Merrigan added one goal and also dominated on the draws, while Christine Ward and Shannon Proctor chipped in with one goal apiece.

The Bulldogs also hosted nonleague Ursuline Academy last week and cruised to a 13-5 victory behind big games from Merrigan (4 goals), Sullivan (3 goals), and McNeil (3 goals). Freshman goalie Katherine Doody also had an outstanding game in the cage, and the defense as a whole played great behind the foursome of Jackie Martin, Julia Mackie, Becca Wysocki, and Lindsey Nolte.

This week, the team was due to host North Attleboro on Tuesday and travel to nonleague Norwood on Thursday, April 24. Then it’s on to Foxboro on Monday, with home games to follow next Wednesday and Thursday against King Philip and Norwood.

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