WESTWOOD — In uncharacteristic fashion, the Westwood girls lacrosse team suffered three early losses this season, albeit to very good opponents.
Coach Margot Spatola told her team it could come back, and to not lose faith.
If Thursday night’s game with Lincoln-Sudbury was any indication, the two-time defending Div. 1 state champion Wolverines are plenty capable of reaching whatever goals remain.
With a dominant first half on the draws and overall strong play, Westwood led throughout and held off a very good L-S team, 8-7.
Westwood improves to 18-3 overall, while L-S drops to 16-2.
“This is where we want to be,” Spatola said. “We knew our early April team … We did our very best not to worry about that first loss, and all of that. We want to be hitting our stride now. So, we definitely have work to do every day, but I think we’re feeling good, and ready to continue to work.”
“I think we’ve really dialed it in at practice,” said Olivia Williams, who was excellent on the draws for Westwood. “That’s where everything starts and translates to the game. We all realize that the season and we all (want to win) so bad. We all want it for each other. I think that’s now translating to the game. Different people are stepping up in different positions, and we’re all working super hard, because we know what we want in the end.”
Sophomore Caroline Nozzolillo led Westwood with four goals. Ava Connaughton added two goals, and Williams and Lil Hancock scored one each. Goalie RIley Harrington made nine saves, including six in the first half.
But it was Williams who was the key figure in the first half, as Westwood was a perfect 10-for-10 on draws in the opening frame. The Wolverines parlayed that into a 6-3 lead at the break.
“Honestly, I’m surrounded by such great teammates,” Williams said. “I have Lil Hancock, Kella McGrail, Ava Connaughton who were all on the draw with me. I just know, if I can get it in the air, can get it on the ground, I can trust them to be able to get that ground ball.”
But the Warriors did not roll over in the second half. After a Connaughton goal made it 7-3, Westwood, L-S answered with the next three goals. Ella Ryan’s strike with 12:55 to play sliced the deficit to 7-6.
Nozzolillo answered, as she scored through a host of L-S defenders, and Westwood took an 8-6 lead with 7:04 to play. Reagan Malo scored for L-S -with 2:45 to play, but Westwood won the ensuing draw and ran out the clock.
Katie Wolin led L-S with three goals, while Harper Friedholm scored twice for the Warriors.