The Westfield High School boys’ lacrosse team continue to grow as a unit. Longmeadow witnessed it firsthand.
Westfield nearly pulled off a huge upset at Longmeadow yesterday, losing 9-8 in a back-and-forth thriller. The defending Western Massachusetts champion Lancers, who remain unbeaten in the Valley Wheel, improved to 9-1. The Bombers fell to 7-4, 2-3.
Westfield led for most of the second half, but the defending champs pulled ahead in crunch time.
Longmeadow scored the last two goals to rally late. Lancers’ Dan McDonough notched the equalizer with 4:40 remaining, and Dylan Kelleher scored the game-winner with 2:48 left. Both players finished with two goals and one assist.
“(Westfield) just worked harder than we did,” longtime Longmeadow coach John Rauseo said. “They were scrappy; we got lucky.”
Westfield presented a new challenge to his team this season.
“They were the toughest opponent we have played so far,” the Lancers coach said.
Westfield, knotted the game 19 seconds into the second half 5-5 on a goal from Alex Quarterly, and fell behind later in the third quarter. But the Bombers rallied on consecutive goals from Scarfo and Jones.
Eric Bavsalou tied the game at 7-7 for Longmeadow before Quarterly recorded his third goal with 5:46 on the fourth-quarter clock.
“I’m not surprised how our guys played,” Westfield coach Mark Cavalon said. “They were working hard for four solid quarters.”
While Cavalon noted that the game was another stepping stone for the Bombers, he stressed that his team can not make too much of it.
“Overall, I don’t place too much on any one game,” the Westfield coach said, “but down the stretch it will be something for us to build on.”
Westfield has little time to rest with tough games upcoming against West Springfield, Minnechaug, Amherst, and South Hadley.
Longmeadow’s coach was not surprised by his opponent’s effort.
“The level of lacrosse is just better all around (Western Mass.),” coach Rauseo explained. “We have to be better.”
“Hopefully we got tougher today,” he added.
