MEDFIELD — In a game that saw 32 goals, it was a defensive stand at the end that helped Medfield escape with a 17-15 girls lacrosse victory over King Philip.
The hold saw Medfield’s Kelly Blake force a turnover near the goal while the hosts held a slim 16-15 lead. The ensuing play saw them wear out the clock and fire home an insurance marker.
“Kelly Blake has nice clean checks,” Medfield coach Mary Laughna said. “She read the girl’s stick well and just got it.”
The first half saw 21 goals combined between the teams and four total lead changes. King Philip led for most of the half, taking an early lead and never allowing Medfield to get more than a two-goal advantage. Still, it was Medfield which took an 11-10 lead at the half.
“We came out with high energy and we knew how competitive this game was going to be for us.” King Philip coach Kourtnie Wilder said. “It could have gone either way, but I’m really proud of our effort.”
King Philip quickly retook the lead in the second half and scored five of the first six goals to take a 15-12 lead, the first substantial lead for either team since early in the opening half. Much of this was led by a three-pronged attack from Alyssa Legere, Makenzie McDevitt and Nicole McDonald.
At this point, Medfield needed someone to step up. Two of the key contributors in that effort were Alex and Kelly Blake.
A Jill Dipiero strike started the comeback before Alex Blake drew within one after an effort that saw her trek half the field and fire from close range. She credited the offense’s success to adjusting to King Philip’s style.
“We noticed that that they played a backer, so we started doing double cuts,” Alex Blake said. “Settling the ball, making smart passes and placing our shots made the difference.”
This is where the Medfield defense stepped up, and two Kelly Blake goals put them back in the lead.
“Taking our time and looking for the right pass was really helpful for us and worked in the end,” Kelly Blake said. “We have to get used to these types of environments and keep pushing to come out with a win.”
Kelly and Alex Blake each had five goals, with other scorers for Medfield were Alex Proefrock, Mara Boldy, Dipiero and Izzy Kittredge. Scorers for King Philip included Abby and Nicole Mcdonald, McDevitt, Legere and Kelly Holmes. Still, the defense for Medfield in the end made the difference.
“I credit KP for their energy the whole game,” Laughna said. “Our defense has come a long way since the beginning of the year. For them to pick it up at the end was huge for us.”