Behind Ashley Murtha’s seven goals and a stifling, unyielding defense, the South Windsor High girls lacrosse team overwhelmed Brien McMahon-Norwalk 15-3 on Monday afternoon.
Tori Russo added three goals, while Sierra Hibbs, Jenny Gilligan, Jackie Pilatti, Emma Richard and Bridget Kelly all had one goal apiece in the surprisingly easy victory over a Fairfield County opponent.
“You never know what you are going to get out of an FCIAC team, even though they’ve obviously had a tough start to the season,” South Windsor head coach Ed Duclos said.
With the victory, the Bobcats ran their record to 4-0, while Brien McMahon fell to 0-4.
The secret to South Windsor’s success isn’t a great mystery. Indeed, in the four games, the Bobcats have outscored their opponents 49-13, with the defense creating opportunities on offense.
Goalie Meg Brault (6 saves) and defenders Jackie Pilatti, Angie King, Taylor Pendergast and Becca Karlins all combined to make the Senators’ lives difficult in their offensive end.
“We spend a lot of time on our defense and it shows,” Duclos said.
But South Windsor’s attackers and midfielders also applied pressure on the ball, creating turnovers that turned into scoring opportunities.
“It’s not just on the defensive end,” Duclos said. “You see it all around the field. ... Everybody feels that we play defense first. ... It’s 12 v. 12.”
What South Windsor also showed on Monday was depth, as Duclos rotated in a number of players, particularly on defense.
“We have a lot of players who can stand up and play for us,” Duclos said. “It’s not just one person. We have incredible leadership from our seniors. We’re going to need that all season long.”
The Bobcats will need depth and leadership in their next game - a Wednesday afternoon contest against CCC rival Simsbury on the road. The Trojans lost to a very good Ridgefield team 14-13 in overtime on Monday.
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