Mags Rieper (13), Amelia Novitch (2) and Kate Mastrobuono (11) celebrate a first quarter goal. Photos by Mike Flanagan.
By Mike Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The top-seeded Dover-Sherborn High School girls varsity lacrosse team hosted No. 9 Wayland on Monday night in the quarterfinal round of the Division II East playoffs. A win would set up a date with arch rival and No. 4 Medfield in the semifinals on Wednesday.
A fast start, complemented by a dominant second half shutout, allowed the Raiders (15-1) to roll to an 18-3 victory.
Off the game’s opening face-off, Kate Mastrobuono scooped a ground-ball, dashed in and fired home a shot up high to immediately give DS a 1-0 lead. After Wayland tied the game at one with 11:34 remaining, Amelia Novitch reclaimed the lead for the Raiders just 21 seconds later. Novitch’s goal sparked a 4-0 run by the Raiders to conclude the quarter, with goals coming from Hope Shue, Novitch again and Annie Parizeau.
After Wayland trimmed the deficit to 5-2 early in the second quarter, Mastrobuono finished a feed from Shue to make it a 6-2 game with 8:52 to play in the half.
With the score 6-3 with 2:08 to play before halftime, Shue finished a beautiful feed from Mastrobuono at the edge of the crease to make it a four-goal lead. Novitch completed the hat trick off a free position restart just 23 seconds later to make it an 8-3 game. With time winding down in the half, Mags Rieper brought the ball out from behind the cage and stung home a left-handed shot up high to beat the buzzer, giving DS a commanding 9-3 lead at halftime.
Back-to-back goals by Novitch, along with strikes from Rieper, Mastrobuono and Shue, helped the Raiders bulk their lead to 14-3 at the end of three quarters. The Raiders would add four more tallies in the fourth to advance by the 18-3 final. DS finished the game on a 12-0 run.
At the time of print, the Raiders will host Medfield on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the sectional semifinals.
For funny and incisive sports analysis as well as video highlights of games, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter and Instagram handles @flano0.
