YARMOUTH — If Wednesday night’s girls’ lacrosse game between Yarmouth and Greely is any indication of what will happen in the Class B playoffs, once thing is certain:
It’s going to be an exciting postseason.
After Greely jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the top-ranked Clippers rallied for five straight goals in less than five and a half minutes and eventually earned a 12-10 victory.
“It was just back and forth the rest of the game,” Greely Coach Becca Koel-ker said. “We just need to take care of the ball and, if we can do that, we can beat any team.”
Katie Bennert scored her second goal of the game to pull third-ranked Greely (7-4) within two goals with 49 seconds left. The Rangers then won the ensuing draw, but a free position save by Yarmouth goalie Izzy Serrano with 33 seconds left sealed the win.
Yarmouth’s Annie Lowenstein backs in against Greely goalie Hannah Perfetti during a Class B girls’ lacrosse game Wednesday evening. Top-ranked Yarmouth won, 12-10.
“Our defense played really well, and that’s what it came down to,” Yarmouth Coach Dorothy Holt said. “We struggled winning the draw, and we had to play good defense to get the ball back.”
Greely won nine of 12 draws in the second half, but Yarmouth compensated by forcing turnovers, including a key play late in the game by midfielder Eva Then, who stole the ball from the Rangers, effectively limiting their possession with three minutes left.
Meredith Lane led Yarmouth (9-2) with five goals, while Greely got goals from six players. Greta Van Curan scored three goals for the Rangers, Bennert and Jayme Morrison scored twice, and Courtney Sullivan, Samantha Goldburg and Brooke Clement each contributed one goal.
Yarmouth’s Greta Elder maneuvers around Greely’s Jill Cass.
“There definitely were some nerves at the beginning of the game,” Lane said of Yarmouth’s slow start. “It was a big night – Senior Night, and Greely is a great team. We knew they were going to come out strong.”
Freshman Hannah Perfetti was outstanding in goal for Greely. She made 11 of her 14 saves in the first half to keep the Rangers in the game.
Morrison scored from Sullivan four minutes into the game, and then Van Curan scored off the ensuing draw 14 seconds later, giving Greely a 2-0 lead. Clement concluded Greely’s run with a goal from free position.
Lane kicked off Yarmouth’s surge with a pair of goals – the first off a rebound and the second from Ehryn Groothoff with 16 minutes left in the half. Then’s goal from free position tied it before Greta Elder and Abi Thornton notched unassisted goals.
Bennert and Sullivan answered for Greely to tie the score at 5-5 before another goal by Then from free position gave Yarmouth a one-goal edge at halftime.
Greely’s Maddy Perfetti attempts to fend off Yarmouth’s Annie Lowenstein.
Lane opened the second half with a goal for Yarmouth, but the Rangers answered with two of their own, as Van Curan scored from Clement and Morrison scored from Bennert to make it 7-7 with 20:45 left.
Yarmouth’s Elder and Greely’s Goldburg exchanged goals before Lane scored from free position, then assisted on Groothoff’s goal with 11:43 left.
Van Curan pulled the Rangers within a goal with 10:27 left, but Yarmouth extended its lead with goals from Emma Marston and Lane.
Taylor Vortherms can be contacted at 791-6417 or:
tvortherms@pressherald.com
Twitter: TaylorVortherms
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