Senior Sophia Turchetta set a new national record for goals and assists scored by a high school girls lacrosse player in Tuesday’s first-round Central/West District 2 sectional playoff against Pope Francis High School of Holyoke.
Turchetta’s record-breaking shot came moments before the close of the first half, bringing the total number of goals and assists she has scored since eighth grade to 766. The previous record of 765 was held by Corrinne Wessels of Manassas, Virginia, for her four years of varsity play from 2011 through the 2014 season.
This successful shot on goal in Tuesday’s Bromfield girls lacrosse district playoff opener against Pope Francis High School puts Sophia Turchetta in the record books. Turchetta has scored more points (goals plus assists) than any other female high school lacrosse player in the nation. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Asked what she was thinking as she sank her shot, Turchetta smiled and said she wouldn’t have known if her father hadn’t shouted out her achievement from the sidelines. Turchetta’s coach, David Planchet, said later in a phone conversation that having watched someone of Turchetta’s talent play since seventh grade, one might begin to take her exceptional play for granted. “It’s a day at the office for Sophia,” he said. “But the chance of you or I ever seeing a player like her in this region is once in a lifetime.”
Turchetta’s record was the high point of a game in which the Bromfield girls soundly defeated the Pope Francis Cardinals, 17–3, in their first-round district playoff. Turchetta was high scorer with seven goals and one assist, followed by senior Meaghan Parlee with four goals and two assists. Chandler Farley, Isabelle Planchet, and Anita Childers contributed the remaining goals. Bromfield goalie Emily Podgorni had three saves. The Trojans now advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face either Wahconah or Lunenburg high school.
Bromfield dominates Wachusett in regular season finale
On Monday, May 23, the Bromfield girls lacrosse team played its last game of the regular season against the Division 1 Wachusett Regional High School Mountaineers, beating them 16–9 in a game meant to challenge the Trojans before the playoffs.
Before the game, Coach Planchet had warned the girls to treat the game like a championship match. “Be prepared,” he told them. Bromfield solidly defeated the Mountaineers by dominating the second half of the game.
Wachusett began with a goal a mere 26 seconds into play, scoring on a pass to an unguarded attacker. However, Bromfield quickly won the next draw and scored an 8-meter shot half a minute later.
Now that both teams had established their ability to score, the defenders on each side stepped up their game, which prevented either side from advancing down the field and led to a contentious back-and-forth battle for possession. But after the Mountaineers missed a critical pass that would have earned them a goal, Bromfield stole the ball and junior Meaghan Parlee scored.
Draw controls proved to be critical to Wachusett’s first-half success. After winning the draw, the Mountaineers were able to score another fast goal. Although Bromfield’s Izzy Planchet scored after that, Wachusett won the draw twice more and charged past Bromfield’s defenders to add two more goals. As the Wachusett coach explained to her players on the field, “It’s all about the draw.”
Bromfield did control the draw twice after that, allowing Parlee to score two goals and Sophia Turchetta to score one. With a minute on the clock, Wachusett scooped the ball off the ground and attempted another charge toward net. But Bromfield’s defense was one step ahead this time and recaptured the ball. Bromfield then shot twice but missed, as the shots arced past the goal. With 14 seconds on the clock, Wachusett recovered the ball and pushed back down the field, an endeavor that was cut short by the sound of the horn ending the half.
Although the first half of the game was contentious, Bromfield dominated the second half. Bromfield shot three quick goals in the first three minutes. The large Wachusett crowd was visibly agitated as the close 6–4 game went to a more unrecoverable 9–4. Wachusett won the next draw and scored, then won the draw after that. However, Wachusett felled a Bromfield player, and the referees called the Mountaineer on a charge and cross-check.
Wachusett fans booed loudly at this decision, but Wachusett recovered the ball and scored, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Bromfield continued to dominate, however, facing little further resistance from Wachusett. Goals from Planchet, Courtney Route, Kaeli Armstrong, Parlee, and Turchetta solidified Bromfield’s win over the Division I team 16–9.
Bromfield was rewarded for its hard work throughout the season with the top seed in Division 2 girls lacrosse, marking the third year in a row that Bromfield has earned that ranking. The number two seed went to Bromfield’s rival Groton-Dunstable, which Bromfield defeated in the regular season 7–6 in overtime and is likely to face again in the playoffs.
Kate Selig is a Bromfield freshman. John Osborn contributed to this article.
