WA Boys’ Lacrosse defeated Haverhill 18-4 in the first round of the Massachusetts State Championship playoffs on Saturday, May 31, allowing them to advance to the round of 16.
Throughout the season, the Ghosts dominated their opponents, earning the title of Co-DCL Champions and finishing the regular season with a record of 14-3. WA’s senior captains, Ryan Campbell, Nick Burns, Jack Donovan, and Finn McKeon displayed strong leadership all throughout spring, guiding their team to success.
Against Haverhill, WA came out strong and scored two goals within the first four minutes of play. However, the Ghosts’ offense was not the only dominant aspect of their gameplay; sophomores James O’Toole, JJ Wilson, CJ Hammond, and senior Ben Burgess led WA’s defense, and prevented Haverhill from getting to goal, holding their opponents to only four goals in 48 minutes.
“We all showed up yesterday,” junior Peter Burns said. “In particular, Hammond had a great day on the defensive end, but I could point out a ton of people who played well.”
The first quarter ended with WA holding a significant lead. The Ghosts’ aggressive defense and fast-paced ball movement on offense allowed them to take several shots on goal and increase their lead.
With four minutes remaining in the first half, senior Quinn Reynolds raced down the field, found open space, swerved through Haverhill defenders, and took a strong shot at the goal—adding another point to the scoreboard and earning WA their ninth point of the game.
Trailing by eight points, Haverhill picked up the pace and scored two goals in the last two and a half minutes of the second quarter, closing the gap and making the score 9-3 at halftime.
Right after halftime, Peter Burns took a fast shot and upped WA’s lead to 10-3. Haverhill managed to slip in another goal, but McKeon quickly responded with an additional goal for the Ghosts, making the score 11-4.
Despite having a substantial lead, WA did not lessen their intensity in the third quarter. They were able to take several shots, gaining four more points through goals scored by Nick Burns and Donovan. The third quarter came to an end with WA leading 15-4.
The final 12 minutes of the game consisted of a lot of ball movement by the Ghosts in order to maintain their lead. Haverhill tried to take more shots in the hopes of adding a few more points to the scoreboard, but Campbell stayed strong in goal, holding them to the four points that they had earned in the first three quarters.
WA’s win allows them to move on to the second round of the playoffs. Their next game will be on the Trustees Field at WA on Tuesday, June 3, against Winchester High School, a team the Ghosts have not played in the last four years.
“I’m very excited to play Winchester, we all are,” Reynolds said. “We have never played them in the time that the seniors have been here, so it should be a fun game.”
