For the first time ever, Bromfield’s girls’ lacrosse team is headed to the Central/West Division 2 finals.
In a hard-fought semifinal game on June 3, the top-seeded Trojans beat Groton-Dunstable by a heart-stopping score of 14-13 before an enthusiastic home team crowd at McCurdy Track.
The winning goal was scored by Sophia Turchetta with only seconds remaining. The unstoppable Turchetta scored an amazing 11 of her team’s goals, followed by Jackie Planchet with three. Goalie Julie Hoggins was credited with 12 saves.
Left: Sophie Turchetta (center) displays super-human ability whether takng a shot on goal (she scored 11!) or winning a faceoff. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Jackie Planchet goes in for a goal.
The top scorers for Groton-Dunstable were Sarah Walsh, who sank four for her team, and Olivia Penney, with three.
Groton-Dunstable scored in the first 10 seconds of the game, and held the lead through the first half of the match. At half-time the score was 9-6 in favor of the Crusaders.
As the second half began, Groton-Dunstable increased its lead over Bromfield by four points to 11–7. But six minutes into the period, the Trojan offense stepped up. Bromfield began to win its face-offs, and Turchetta began a four-point run that evened the score at 12–12. A fifth goal by Planchet gave Bromfield the lead for the first time that afternoon.
As the game drew to a close, the Crusaders scored a final goal to tie the game at 13–13. Bromfield called timeout. When the game resumed, Bromfield took firm control, running out the clock as Turchetta, Planchet, and freshman Meaghan Parlee traded possession just beyond the Crusader box. Then with fewer than five seconds remaining, Turchetta took possession and, driving past the Groton-Dunstable defenders, scored the winning goal.
‘How do the finals sound?’
“Tip your hat to Groton-Dunstable,” Coach Dave Planchet told the Press. “They’re a great team, and it took the efforts of our entire team to get past them. I told them they had to win all of their little battles to win the big one, and they did.”
The team will play Grafton for the division title, a team it beat twice during the regular season and which won its own semifinal Tuesday in overtime against Littleton by a score of 14–13.
“How do the finals sound?” Planchet asked his team as they gathered to celebrate their victory. His question was greeted with a loud cheer. “Now go thank your fans,” he said, sending his players across the field to accept the accolades of an appreciative Harvard crowd.
