Lacrosse: SLHS Girls Win on Senior Night

The South Lakes High School girls lacrosse team defeated the McLean Highlanders 15-9 on Wednesday night at home.

The pregame ceremonies honored the six seniors on the team for their years of dedication to the lacrosse team.

The seniors all played roles in the victory - goalie Emily Lipscomb anchored the defense and made numerous outstanding saves. Defender Kenna Salvatore, the lone upperclassman on defense, played hard-nosed defense while providing leadership to her young teammates. Midfielder Maria Leith dished out five assists and caught some glory of her own with two goals for a total of seven points.

Sharpshooter Kenzie Hughes on attack had five goals and one assist. Midfielder Sadie Belt with her always aggressive and fantastic all-around play, fought for and won loose balls off the draw, tracked down ground balls all over the field, and went coast to coast on numerous occasions.

Sophomore center Megan Greatorex scored SLHS' first goal, but McLean led 3-1 early. The Seahawks rallied back to take a 6-3 lead with goals from Greatorex, Leith, Hughes, Freshman Kristina Woodward and the third from Greatorex. The Seahawks gave up a late goal, but still managed a 6-4 halftime lead.

To start the second half, Greatorex scored her third and fourth goals, but McLean kept the heat coming, closing the gap to 8-7. Woodward scored her second goal of the game with an assist from co-captain Leith, while Hughes scored two more also on assists from Leith to push the lead to 11-8 for the Seahawks.

South Lake's defensive unit - led by co-captain Lipscomb and senior Salvatore - of underclassman Nicole Salvatore, Caitlin Maginniss, Leah Duffy, Josie Wnek, Ebony Mitchell, and Lindsey Rook shut down McLean the rest of the way.

Midfielders Gabrielle Parisi, Katie Thomas, Sara Hawes, and Emma Rygiel controlled the ground ball war in the middle of the field, giving possession to the Seahawks on many loose balls, and preventing McLean from mounting a comeback.

The Seahawks then put the game out of reach with Woodward stealing the ball from the McLean goalie and netting her third goal for a hat trick, a goal from assist queen Leith, and two goals from the ever accurate stick of co-captain Hughes securing the victory.

The Seahawks face Langley in the playoffs on Friday.

 -- Submitted by David Woodward