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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
Medfield and Dover-Sherborn have played some extremely memorable girls lacrosse games over the last several years, and Monday night’s first of two regular season meetings between the two teams lived up to expectations.
Thanks to some huge saves in net by DS senior goaltender Natalie Grosek throughout the first half, Medfield trailed 5-4 at halftime and was in need of a strong final 25 minutes in order to emerge victorious.
Behind a 5-0 run to begin the second half, highlighted by three goals by senior captain Maggie McCarthy (five goals total), the Warriors strung together a second half comeback to top the Raiders (3-3) by a 10-8 final, and improved to 5-1 on the young season.
DS began the game on a 4-0 run thanks to goals by Cricket Simms, Barrett Laird, Hope Shue, and Maggie Green. However, senior captain Brooke Deady responded for Medfield with a quick pair of goals to cut the deficit to 4-2 with 13:46 to play in the first half. A little under a minute later with 12:37 to play, McCarthy fired home her first of the afternoon to make it a one-goal game at 4-3.
Simms buried her second goal of the day off of a restart to make it 5-3 in favor of DS before McCarthy labeled a ball off the post and in following a strong drive to the crease to make it a one-goal game at 5-4. Grosek finished off the half with a pair of big saves, one on Deady on the off-stick and one on McCarthy with the left leg to preserve the one-goal lead for DS at halftime.
Medfield made some adjustments and came out firing on all cylinders following the break, as McCarthy finished off a man-up with a drive to the crease and finish up high to complete the hat trick and tie the game at five with 16:56 to play. A little over a minute later with 15:53 remaining, McCarthy fired home a goal on a restart to give Medfield its first lead of the game at 6-5.
Junior attacker Lauren Sleboda doubled Medfield’s lead to two goals at 7-5 with a strong left-handed finish with 13:28 to play. Erin Seibel launched home a goal to extend the lead to 8-5 before McCarthy fired in her fifth of the game to make it 9-5 with 5:36 remaining.
DS made a strong comeback attempt, cutting the game to 9-7 with a little over two minutes to play. However, Medfield sealed the victory with a goal in the final minute to make it 10-7. The Raiders got one back to cut it to 10-8, but the damage had already been done. Medfield prevailed with the two-goal victory.
Medfield will look to stick to its winning script when the Warriors host Ashland on April 26 while DS will try and get back on track against Norton on April 25 before traveling to Westwood on April 30.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
