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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
An incredible 12-10 comeback victory over reigning Division I state champ Needham on April 5 was the perfect start to the season for the Walpole High girls varsity lacrosse team. Considering Walpole girls lacrosse’s move up to Division I from Division II this season, the win over the defending champion Rockets certainly proves to both themselves and to others around the state that the Walpole girls can beat anybody.
This past week, the Lady-Rebels moved to 3-0 on the season thanks to a big 19-6 road win over Weymouth on Thursday. On Friday, Walpole hosted North Attleboro for the latter half of a back-to-back. Behind a six-goal first half by senior captain Emily Curtis (seven goals total), Walpole prevailed with a 16-6 victory to push their unbeaten record to 4-0.
North Attleboro got a defensive stop and scored off of transition just 2:19 in to draw first blood. Exactly a minute later with 21:41 remaining, Curtis deposited home her first of the day at the crease off of a feed behind the cage by junior Olivia Crawford. Just 21 seconds after the tying goal, Curtis gave Walpole its first lead with a low bounce shot off of a pass from fellow senior captain Mia Drummey.
Senior captain Celia Walsh extended the lead to 3-1 with a drive and cross-body finish with 20:17 remaining before Curtis completed the hat trick and made it a 4-1 game with 19:27 left off of a nifty little feed from behind the cage by junior Nicole Griffin.
A fourth goal by Curtis on the man-up extended Walpole’s lead to 5-1 with 15:01 to play. North Attleboro cut into the deficit at 5-2 with 13:58 to play, but Curtis responded right back with a riffle down low after a cut to the crease to make it 6-2 with 13:32 remaining. Junior Audra Tosone fired home a goal with 11:17 to play to make it 7-2 before senior captain Libby Foley finished a drive to the crease with a finish up high to push the lead to 8-2.
Mia Drummey’s second of the afternoon pushed the Walpole lead to seven at 9-2 with 9:44 to play before Tosone’s second of the game made it 10-2 with 4:52 left in the half. Curtis added a sixth tally to push the lead to nine goals at 11-2 with 37 seconds to play and Walsh fired home her second goal of the day just before the halftime buzzer after a drive to the crease to make it a 12-2 lead for the Lady-Rebs at the break.
Walpole pushed its lead to as many as 12 at the beginning of the second half, thanks to goals by Curtis and Crawford, and would go on to win by the 10-goal final.
At the time of print, Walpole will look to stick to its winning script when the Lady-Rebels travel to face Duxbury on April 17 before hosting King Phillip on April 23.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0, or read his blog at www.flannylive.wordpress.com.
