The Bromfield Trojans handed the Algonquin lacrosse girls their second defeat of the season, beating back a third-quarter surge to win a decisive 21-13 victory.
The game, played at Algonquin Regional High School in Northborough Thursday, June 3, was the final league game for both teams, who could meet again in the MIAA Central Mass. Division 1 playoffs that began this week.
Bromfield dominated the first two quarters and led Algonquin 15-3 at halftime. Seniors Izzy Planchet and Olivia and Bella Kehoe won 15 of 20 faceoffs, and the team’s speedy offense did the rest. When it came to recovering loose balls, often a prelude to a successful attack, Bromfield’s players outdid Algonquin, 16-7.
Algonquin fought back in the third quarter, one of the most exciting of the season. Led by sophomore attacker Ava Wilde, Algonquin added seven goals, narrowing Bromfield’s lead to 15-10. As newly arrived members of the Algonquin boys lacrosse team cheered from the sidelines, Wilde scored four times in four minutes, with one assist, while junior midfielder Lucy Rogers scored twice, once with an assist from Wilde. Algonquin’s defenders held Bromfield scoreless until the period’s final minute when Planchet, on a penalty shot, added a point to the Trojan total, for a score of 16-10.
Triple-teamed, senior Izzy Katter looks to pass in an earlier game against Algonquin. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Bromfield regained control in the fourth quarter, however, as a fired-up offense returned to the field for an encore performance. The Trojans added 5 points to their total and held Algonquin to a gain of 3 for a final score of 21-13. It was Bromfield’s narrowest win over any of its opponents in the 12-game 2021 season.
“Today was a great game for us because we finally faced some adversity,” coach David Planchet told the Press. “They were pushing back and our kids stepped up. Those are signs of great teams. In the big moment you’ve got to step up and not cave. That’s what we did, so I was really proud of them.”
Bromfield’s ability to make plays was on display throughout the game, with more than half its 21 goals made on assists. Bromfield’s top scorer was Planchet with six goals, two of which were scored on penalty shots. Junior Tallia Dutkewych and senior Izzy Katter each scored four times, Bella and Olivia Kehoe each scored twice, and Megan Hoggins scored once. Goalie Peyton VanDorpe was credited with seven saves, six earned in the final half.
With a 12-0 season record, Bromfield is now the No. 1 seed in the Central Mass. Athletic Directors Association’s Division 1 playoffs, which began Monday. The team got to sit out the first round and was scheduled to play No. 8 seed Nashoba Regional High School in a quarterfinal Wednesday, June 9, at 6 p.m. in Harvard Park.
Bromfield has played and defeated by wide margins most of the teams it will face in the Central Mass. tournament, including Algonquin, a team without a name after the Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee voted in April to retire the school’s Tomahawk mascot and logo. The Algonquin girls have lost twice this season, each time to the Trojans, and they enter the tournament as the No. 3 seeded team, behind Bromfield and No. 2 Shrewsbury.
“I’ve told them, ‘We just have to play perfect lacrosse,’” said coach Planchet last week. “I could care less what the score is; I want to see them execute perfectly, because if they can execute perfectly, we can’t be beat.”
