The Bromfield girls vanquished the No. 4 Tantasqua Warriors 20-4, last Sunday, in a one-sided Central Mass. semifinal at Harvard Park that fueled the team’s drive to a division championship.
“I want you to go out there and dominate,” coach David Planchet told his starters. And dominate they did, scoring 10 goals in the first quarter and another five in the second. By halftime the Trojans had won two-thirds of the face-offs (12-5), recovered the most loose balls (11-7), and outshot the Warriors (25-5) to keep possession for most of the period and amass a 15-1 lead.
The playmaking skills of the Trojan attackers were clearly on display: All but three of the 15 goals scored in the first half were made on assists—cuts and passes executed with a speed and precision that kept the Warriors defense off balance.
Senior Sophie Bartram, a defender, heads cross-field to outpace her Algonquin opponent in a game earlier this season. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)
In the second half, fans who lined the Harvard Park embankment got a preview of next year’s team. With one senior remaining on the field, the Trojans proceeded to add five points to their total, holding a newly energized Tantasqua offense to three points. Bromfield sophomore Julia Kimball scored two of her team’s goals, and junior Tallie Dutkewych, freshman Kristin Podgorni, and junior Chloe Scornavacca added three more.
The top scorer for the day was Bella Kehoe with five assisted goals. Liv Kehoe, Isabelle Planchet, and Isabelle Katter each earned a hat trick. Megan Hoggins scored a point on a penalty shot. Junior goalie Peyton VanDorpe was credited with five saves, while Tantasqua’s Celeste Downy, a junior, earned four.
Liv Kehoe goes in for a goal..
Bromfield was now left to face the No. 2 Algonquins girls lacrosse team for a third time this year, this time to determine the winner of the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association Division 1 championship. The teams were scheduled to play Tuesday afternoon, but the game was canceled due to a threat of thunderstorms. The game was rescheduled to be played Wednesday afternoon at 5 p.m. at Littleton Middle School.
Although Algonquin has lost only twice this season and won against No. 2 Grafton 16-5 in its semifinal match last Saturday, Bromfield has beaten Algonquin decisively both times they have met: 17-4 on May 18 and 21-13 on June 3
