Westford Academy Girls’ Lacrosse triumphed over Newton South High School on senior night on Tuesday, May 14, with a final score of 7-5, bringing their season record to 9-5.
Although the game was frequently back-and-forth, the Ghosts remained strong and gained a definite lead over the Newton South Lions in the second half. As it was Senior Night, the game began with a celebration of WA’s senior, captain Molly Harding, as well as graduating players from Newton South, each receiving a bouquet of flowers in recognition of their dedication and commitment.
With the sounding of the first whistle, the game took on a fast pace from the start with freshman Kiley Carmichael scoring a goal mere minutes into gameplay. Newton South quickly retaliated, tying the game shortly thereafter.
Following the initial action, both teams continued to fight with energy, each determined to take the lead. Although Westford’s excellent ball movement enabled them to spend great periods of time on the offensive, a solid defense from Newton South prevented another score.
As the quarter progressed, Newton South began to gain longer possessions, weakening the stamina of WA players who struggled to recover control of the ball. Despite this, the Ghosts’ defense persisted with a fantastic save from freshman goalie Ava Preysnar at the end of the quarter.
Just as they had at the beginning of the game, the Ghosts started the second quarter on a good note with a goal from sophomore Olivia Cipriano bringing the score to 2-1. After a possession from the Lions, a quick steal from Carmichael enabled WA to return to the offensive and chalk up another point, making the tally 3-1.
Although the remaining minutes in the first half yielded no great advances from either team, the Ghosts were cheered on enthusiastically by Westford Youth Lacrosse members in the audience. The young athletes had their own chance to shine in an on-field scrimmage during halftime.
Determined to recover, Newton South returned from the break with ferocity, making two consecutive goals to tie the game at 3-3. The change in score woke up the Ghosts, motivating them to battle through the tough defense and retake the lead. Their struggle greatly tired Newton South’s defense, allowing both Carmichael and Cipriano to take shots, resulting in a score of 5-3 by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter began with continued success for WA. Another save from Preysnar and two additional goals from Cipriano within the first five minutes kept the crowd cheering and the Ghosts on top.
After a period of stagnant struggle for both teams, Newton South finally broke through the strong Westford defense and raised the score to 7-4. With less than a minute remaining in the game, the Lions earned another final point.
However, as the sound of the buzzer filled the air, the WA crowd and team were filled with joy at the 7-5 win. Wheeling out a cake and gathering for pictures, the team celebrated their Senior Night achievement.
“It was a good win,” junior captain Erin Keefe said. “We didn’t play that great in the first half but we cleaned it up. It was […] a big day for Molly and we all just wanted to come out and play for her today.”
WA’s next game will be on Tuesday, May 21 at Waltham High School at 4 PM.
