Red-hot Canton High lacrosse teams piling up victories
By Jay Turner
Senior defenseman Ava Gilmore battles a Stoughton player. (Mike Tureski photo)
It’s been a stellar run for both Canton High varsity lacrosse teams, who are both now in the thick of the Hockomock Davenport Division title chase following a string of impressive wins.
As of Tuesday morning, the boys team stood in second place behind Mansfield with a 5-1 league record, while the girls were in third place, a half-game behind runner-up Oliver Ames and not too far off division-leading Foxboro.
Both Bulldog squads are now 6-3 overall and in the midst of winning streaks — five straight for the girls and four in a row for the boys. On Monday, they both took down their neighboring rival from Stoughton, with the girls edging the Knights 13-6 at home and the boys cruising 17-4 on the road.
On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs have been led by the big three of senior Brendan Tourgee, junior Dillon Albert, and sophomore Cullen O’Brien, who have accounted for the bulk of the team’s scoring production through the first nine games. Albert is Canton’s top goal scorer with 25, followed by O’Brien with 20, while Tourgee is the leading playmaker with 27 assists.
Other key contributors include senior Colin Blake, who has 10 goals and 10 assists, and sophomore Nolan Harney, who has four goals and nine assists.
Head coach Tommy Galvin said the team’s defense has also been a “huge factor” in their success this season. “Our defense on average is allowing just under six goals a game,” he said. “That is due to a fantastic core we have that is led by goalie Pat Drury, who has made 87 saves this season. Jake Marcell, Nick Crowe and Seamus Brown have been great for us at close defense all year, holding offenses to minimal goals and helping us in the offensive end.
Also stepping up defensively is Oisin Brogan, Brannen Morris, Will Doucette and Conor Harney, while Max Eagles dominated the faceoff X, winning 72 percent of his draws on the season.
For the girls’ team, it’s a similar story thus far, with a highly productive top three on offense and a relentless, hard-nosed defensive corps.
Leading scorers thus far include Nora Giannacopoulos and Devan Spinale, who were tied going into the Stoughton game with 39 points apiece. Kayleigh Koen has also been a reliable offensive contributor, while others have chipped in when needed, including Maggie Dailey and Daphne Golden.
On the defensive end, newcomer Sammy Gardner, a sophomore transfer, has seized the goalie job and has helped fuel the team’s recent winning streak. The Bulldogs also have several veteran defensemen who bring experience and strength to the role, led by Ava Gilmore, Maggie McCready and Tori Carr. Rounding out the top four on defense is sophomore Michaela Dickie.
Head coach Kelly McGowan said another key to the team’s recent success is their disciplined style of play. “We’ve really concentrated on eliminating our penalties and our fouls and it’s made a huge difference for us,” she said.
McGowan said the goal at this point is to make the postseason and see where it takes them. “I’ve learned a ton, and we as a team have improved a ton too,” she said. “It took us a while to get off our feet and running, but now we feel like we can compete with anyone.”
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=123840
Posted by Jay Turner
on May 2 2024. Filed under High School, Sports.
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