Victories over two Division II opponents and two Division I opponents enabled coach Rob Daziel’s defending Division I champion Pinkerton Academy girls’ lacrosse squad to up its 2014 record to 7-0 as of Monday.
The Lady Astros had their biggest challenge of the young campaign in the 17-12 defeat of Windham, but neither the Manchester Memorial Lady Crusaders nor the Bedford High Lady Bulldogs provided Daziel’s damsels with anywhere near as much trouble.
In the Wednesday, April 23 contest at Division II Windham, the academy crew faced a tough opponent that had already handed losses to Division I squads Londonderry and Souhegan this spring. But the hosts wouldn’t manage to get past the defending champs.
“We started out strong with a 6-1 lead, but Windham came back with nine minutes remaining in the half with six goals, ending the half down by just a goal at 9-8,” said Daziel.
The first five minutes of the second half saw the squads engage in a defensive battle, with neither team scoring until 20:38 remained and Windham tied up the game at 9-9. And with 20:27 left, Windham scored to take the lead by one at 10-9.
“But Windham wouldn’t score again until 1:34 remained as we scored seven goals in six minutes of play and held on for the win,” said the proud coach.
Aleah MacKay led the PA charge by scoring six times, and Daziel’s daughter Kennedy contributed a five-point match with two goals and three assists. Sierra Sanchez was good for two goals and an assist, Erin Coutts scored three times, Amanda Szostak tallied twice, Maggie McCarthy had a goal and a helper, and Micaela Capozzo tallied once. Pinkerton goalie Sarah Lambert was good for seven saves.
Two days later, Friday April 25, the Lady Astros pounded their way to a 19-3 throttling of the visiting Manchester Memorial mob.
The hosts had a commanding 13-1 advantage at the half and had no reason to fret in the second half.
The crew had a slew of multiple-point getters, led by Kennedy Daziel’s five-point output of three goals and two assists.
Capozzo tallied a goal and three helpers, McCarthy was good for three goals and an assist, Ali Davis and Nola Wesche each contributed two goals and an assist, Szostak scored once and assisted twice, Coutts, Colby Millsaps, and Avery Drouin each notched two goals, Dani Tompkins tallied once, and Sanchez and Maggie Mulrennan each registered one assist.
It was more of the same for the locals in their 14-3 trouncing of Bedford in rainy and cold conditions in Derry last Saturday, April 26.
The hosts were up 6-2 on their Division II opponent at the half, and they outscored the Lady Bulldogs by an 8-1 tally in dominating the second half.
Kennedy Daziel led the PA charge with three goals and two assists, Coutts potted four goals, McCarthy notched three tallies and one helper, Sanchez, Capozzo, and MacKay each managed a goal and two assists, and Szostak scored once. Keeper Lambert was credited with six stops in her net.
And the Lady Astros kept the wins coming – and big wins at that – with a 17-5 slamming of the host Nashua North Lady Titans in the Gate City on Monday.
The locals led 11-1 at the half and pushed on to the huge final.
McCarthy potted five goals, Kennedy Daziel was good for five points (4-1-5), Sierra Sanchez tallied a goal and three helpers, McKay and Dani Tompkins tallied twice, and Avery Drouin, Wesche, and Millsap each scored once.
