Girls’ lacrosse team still in contention after 1-1-1 week

By Jay Turner

The Canton High girls’ lacrosse team continues to tread water in the Hockomock League, and last week epitomized this trend as the Bulldogs split a pair with King Philip and Mansfield while adding a rare tie against nonleague Medway for good measure.

Senior captain Meghan Lennon (Mike Barucci photo)

With the 1-1-1 week, the girls now sit at 5-6-1 overall with six games remaining. They’ve posted a more respectable 5-3 mark against league opponents — second only to Foxboro in the Davenport — but will need to win four of their final six games to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament.

Head coach Chris Murtagh said the team is more than capable of pulling it off, and they flashed some of that potential last Wednesday in a 17-8 road win over King Philip.

“That was a huge win for us,” said Murtagh, who has never beaten KP in all his years as a coach. “From [goalie] Isabelle Hegland on down, they all played well. It was a real team win.”

Hegland, who moved up from the JV squad earlier this season, produced one of her best performances to date, while the defensive trio of Amanda Crowley, Jackie Martin and Julia Mackie did an excellent job of stuffing scoring opportunities and jumpstarting Canton’s transition game.

The Bulldog offense also did its part in the victory as five different players scored multiple goals, including Meaghan McKenna (4), Sam Sullivan (3), Jen Martin (3), Meghan Lennon (3), and Shannon Proctor (2). Erin Proctor and Jackie Merrigan also got on the scoreboard, and Merrigan did an outstanding job on the draws, according to Murtagh.

“I always say that whoever controls the draw controls the pace of the game, and Jackie was phenomenal,” he said. “She was able to really direct the ball anywhere she wanted.”

Merrigan and company also played well against a tough Mansfield team a few days later; however, they struggled to find the net against talented Hornet goalie Maria Platsidakis in a 16-9 loss at home.

“She was incredible,” Murtagh said of Platsidakis, who is headed to Division 1 Coastal Carolina next year. “We were beaten by an exceptional player.”

McKenna and Lennon paced the offense with three goals apiece, while Merrigan and Mary McNeil each finished with one in the loss.

Earlier in the week, the Bulldogs traveled to Medway where they battled the Mustangs to a 13-13 draw. Canton actually led for most of the game, but Medway clawed its way back into it before netting the game-tying goal with just seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Lennon led the visitors with four goals, while McKenna had three and Merrigan had two. Sullivan, Jen Martin, McNeil, and Erin Proctor chipped in with one apiece.

This week, the Bulldogs were due to play at Milford on Monday, followed by home games against Oliver Ames on Wednesday and Ursuline Academy on Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m.

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