NEEDHAM — In a boys lacrosse first-round matchup between Bay State Conference foes, No. 13 Needham defeated No. 20 Natick 16-6 to advance within the Division 1 event.
The battle was a rematch from May that noticed Needham win 7-6, however early on this contest it was clear that the Rockets had been the superior crew. Needham coach Dave Wainwright attributed this to raised self-discipline and pleasure for the playoffs.
“Penalties, and the fact that we had less of them, was big for us,” Wainwright stated. “Also the fact that we had seen them before and they had some injuries contributed to how this game went. Also, it’s a tournament game. Everyone rises to the occasion.”
The Rockets solely received a singular faceoff within the matchup, however Wainwright stated the crew can deal with struggling in that a part of the sport.
“We’ve been losing faceoffs all season long,” Wainwright stated. “This is not a secret; this is who we are. We have adapted and overcome this deficiency this year.”
The Rockets took off from the bounce, scoring the primary two targets and leaving the opening quarter with a 5-1 lead. This got here from gritty defensive play and well timed offensive possessions, together with an extended pole objective from captain Jimmy Kenney that swayed momentum towards Needham.
“I was able to get a one-on-one matchup that I liked,” Kenney stated. “I just had to step into that shot and fire it home. Our attackmen were playing so good that it opened up for me.”
The second quarter noticed Natick present some extra life, however heroics from Sean Reilly, together with a behind-the-back objective, helped Needham go away the primary half with a 9-3 lead. The junior attackmen stated he knew he was making the try as quickly as he noticed the opening.
“When I caught it, I knew I was going to throw it that way,” Reilly stated. “I’ve thrown it before this season and I know, in that space when I catch it, it’s my best option.”
The third quarter noticed a rise in bodily play, however the Rockets weren’t fazed, tallying on 5 extra targets and leaving with a commanding 14-4 lead. Two targets apiece within the ultimate quarter gave the sport its ultimate rating.
Natick obtained two targets every from Quinn Pinkham and Pete Metcalf, with Brady Kittler and Gabe Elkin including the opposite two. The Rockets had 4 targets from Reilly, three targets from Spencer Chapman and Cal Sullivan, and two every from Jimmy Kenney, Reis Conway and Charlie Cohen. Reilly attributed the movement of the offense to a various recreation plan.
“We like to switch up our plays a lot,” Reilly stated. “It allows us to move around and attack from different spots.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com