Girls’ Lax takes down Sharon High in MIAA quarterfinal
Senior attacker Gibson Leah and senior defender Colleen Ellis look for an opening to pass the ball
June 1, 2017
Westford Academy Girls’ Lacrosse played a strong game against Sharon High School on home turf Thursday, maintaining a wide lead throughout to finish 19-10.
The Ghosts made their offensive presence known early in the game with a goal landed two minutes in. The girls moved quickly from there, as senior captains Haley Cogliano and Catherine Mahanna netted three more goals. Sharon managed to get past WA’s defense only once in that time, making the score 4-1 after five minutes.
Cogliano scored once more, but Sharon was quick to break away and, after a long run on offense, eventually brought the score to 5-2. However, WA took back the momentum and scored two goals in quick succession and stopped Sharon from scoring as well, causing their opponents to take a time-out.
The girls scored two goals within a minute of each other, and were not to be stopped. Cogliano and sophomore Mary Cadogan carried the team to a 9-2 lead. Despite a couple goals netted by Sharon, the Ghosts finished the half up 13-4.
Sharon was determined not to give up at the start of the second half, scoring a goal less than two minutes in. WA took it back to the offensive side but struggled to score a goal, hitting the post three times before Cadogan managed to score, giving the team to a ten-point lead.
Their opponents kept pushing at WA’s defense, scoring two more goals to make the score 15-7, about halfway through the second quarter. Goal by goal, Sharon narrowed the margin only to have WA respond to every one of their goals. With five minutes left, WA was still ahead by ten, 18-8.
In the final few minutes, Sharon began to chip away at the Ghosts’ defense with a long offensive run that led to a goal. Despite Mahanna netting another goal for WA, Sharon stacked up two more goals to bring the score to 19-10. The final buzzer came soon after, though, leaving WA as the clear winner.
With this victory, Head Coach Julie Olivier takes her team to the state semifinals, where their opponent is yet to be determined.
