St. Mary goalie Karissa Foley (7) watches as the ball finds the back of the net in a game against Chicopee Comprehensive in Chicopee Tuesday. (Photo by Chris Putz)
CHICOPEE – The St. Mary High School girls’ lacrosse team opened up its 2014 regular season strong. The Saints scored early, and staved off a late rally to defeat Chicopee Comp 14-12 on the road Tuesday.
St. Mary raced out to a commanding 8-1 lead in the game’s first 15 minutes. Both teams exchanged goals in a late first-half offensive flurry, but the Saints actually increased their lead and led at the half, 13-5.
“Our team has a lot of similarly experienced girls,” St. Mary coach Dave Watson said. “We instituted a new offense, and we were cutting back toward the ball a lot better.”
Five different players scored for St. Mary – Andrea Watson (5 goals), Lauren Chapdelaine (3 goals), Aisling Smith (2 G), Jillian Watson (2 G), and Taylor Marshall (2 G). Andrea Watson and teammate Miranda Arena also had one assist apiece.
Andrea Watson tallied four first-half goals, and tacked on another with 13:46 remaining in the game. It was the Saints’ only goal of the second half.
Chicopee Comp outscored St. Mary, 7-1, in the last half, including one goal with 14.8 ticks left on the clock, and another at the buzzer.
“Everything that we instituted, we achieved in that first half,” coach Watson said. “We didn’t do that in the second half.”
St. Mary goalies Karissa Foley (9 saves) and Taylor Marshall (6 saves) combined for the victory.
