Pinkerton Academy’s two-time defending Division I champion girls’ lacrosse squad kept pace with the upper-echelon teams in its league last week with a solid winning streak.
The PA crew pushed its 2015 record up to 7-2 with wins over Concord, Exeter, and Nashua North. The local lax squad rolled into this week having won four games in a row and seven of its last eight decisions.
The Lady Astros got their season record to 5-2 with an 18-5 crushing of the Concord High Crimson Tide in the state capital Tuesday, April 28.
The academy side potted the first eight goals of the match in the first seven minutes of play, and the locals led 15-2 at halftime. Both sides scored three goals in the second half.
Dani Tompkins led the Lady Astros with a five-point match (three goals, two assists). Maggie McCarthy contributed three goals and one helper, Avery Drouin scored four times, Micaela Capozzo and Ariel Vaillancourt were each good for two scores, Nola Wesche and Megan Jarvis each scored a goal and assisted on one, and single tallies were netted by Colby Millsaps and Ali Davis. Jarvis led the team in ground ball recoveries with six.
“Our low defense was anchored by Kristen Sobolewski, Emily Sharretts, Melanie George, Megan Jarvis, Morgan Hazelton, and Carly Young,” said coach Rob Daziel.
Kyra Goucher had two saves and Jackie Tarsook made one in the PA net.
The academy side’s home match against Exeter last Friday afternoon ended up considerably tighter than Daziel and his charges probably expected after they found themselves grasping an 8-3 halftime lead. But the final score showed the hosts nabbing a 12-10 victory.
Capozzo and Amanda Szostak each tallied four points on three goals and one assist for PA, McCarthy and Drouin each collected two goals and one helper, and single goals were delivered by Davis and Tompkins. Keeper Goucher was good for seven stops in her team’s net.
The 5-3 Lady Blue Hawks had stepped into that match having won four of their previous five contests.
And the next afternoon in Nashua, senior star McCarthy had a historic day in leading her Lady Astros to a 19-9 knock-off of the host North Lady Titans.
McCarthy tallied a six-point game with four goals – including number 200 of her superb high school career – and two assists in the lopsided win.
Szostak was also an offensive machine for the winning side, netting six big goals. Drouin contributed three goals and one assist, Capozzo and Wesche each notched two goals and a helper, and Davis and Tompkins each registered one goal.
PA goalies Goucher and Tarsook each made five saves in the win.
Finishing up the week at 7-2 put the Astro girls in fourth place in the Division 1 standings.
The academy squad’s next games were against winless Manchester Memorial (0-7) Tuesday, May 5, and 4-1 Salem the next day. The locals then host 6-2 Hanover this Saturday, May 9, followed by another home game against Winnacunnet of Hampton (4-3) next Monday, May 11.
