Raider lax headed to tournament

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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor

The Wellesley High School varsity lacrosse team has had an excellent last couple of weeks, improving to 10-4 on the season following a five-game win streak dating back to May 2. Since entering the month of May, the Raiders have outscored opponents 66-27, and following their 15-5 victory over Framingham on Wednesday, the black and red clinched a spot in the Division I state tournament.

The Raiders began their winning streak by taking down Braintree 17-3 on May 2, before earning a 12-8 win over Newton North two days later. Wellesley continued their winning ways with a 10-7 win at non-conference opponent Melrose on May 6 before defeating Framingham on May 9, and then earning a 12-4 victory at Dedham on Friday.

Freshman Henry Gear got the Wellesley offense rolling early against Dedham on Friday afternoon, netting two goals on the doorstep of the cage just 25 seconds apart from one another to give the Raiders an early 2-0 edge. Michael Bomes added another tally just a minute later on a right-handed rocket from about 10 yards out to extend the lead to three at the end of one quarter of play.

Dedham would get one back in the first two minutes of the second quarter to make it a 3-1 game, but the Raiders responded in the form of four straight goals, with two coming off the stick of senior captain and Amherst College commit Grant Chryssicas, one from senior and Skidmore College commit Brennan Conroy, and one more from Gear to complete the hat trick. Following the 4-0 run, Wellesley entered halftime ahead by six at 7-1.

The Raiders came out in the second half and kept up their tempo in high gear, dominating the time on attack and working the ball around in a clock-killing manner. Conroy was able to add his second of the contest midway through the third to extend the lead to 8-1, before Dedham snuck one past Teddy Darcey to cut it to an 8-2 game. Chryssicas responded right back for Wellesley, however, firing home a shot from 12 yards out to make it a 9-2 contest at the end of three.

In the fourth quarter, Wellesley would add three more tallies, one from Chris Aitken, one from James Mastrianni, and one from Henry Gear as the Raiders prevailed by a final of 12-4 for their fifth straight victory in the month of May.