Published in the May 18, 2018 edition
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
MELROSE — With the radars studied and the calm not fooling anybody, the Wakefield and Melrose boys’ lacrosse teams moved their start time up to 3:30 p.m. yesterday at Fred Green Field to try to beat the oncoming thunderstorms.
While the Melrose offense was ramping up with the clouds, the Red Raiders took a 6-1 lead when the game was postponed with 6:58 left in the 3rd quarter. The game will resume on a future date to be determined.
Melrose entered the contest with a 13-1 record and a reputation for dominance on both ends of the field, but Wakefield came to town with plenty of confidence, riding a six-game winning streak to push their record to 9-5.
This was the first matchup between the two teams after an incredible semifinal game in last year’s Div. 2 North tournament that Wakefield won 12-11.
THE CLOUDS swarmed over Fred Green Field yesterday as the Wakefield-Melrose boys’ lax game was postponed in the 3rd quarter with the Red Raiders leading 6-1. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)
Captain Ryan Fitzpatrick set the tone early when he won the ensuing face-off and finished off Wakefield’s opening possession a few passes later with a goal and a 1-0 advantage. The quick lead might have caused some teams to stumble, but the Red Raiders kept their composure and responded a couple of minutes later with a goal from Mike Calvert. A nice pass from Jack Wells set up Brendan Fennell for an open shot and a 2-1 Melrose lead with 7:50 left in the 1st.
Wakefield got some good possession on the offensive side and although they couldn’t capitalize, they did a nice job of stemming the momentum for the home team.
The defense stepped up during the last five minutes of the opening quarter. Senior Dan Cataldo picked up a ground ball and lowered his shoulder to let everyone know the Warriors now had possession in the offensive zone. Middie Mike Lucey picked up a ground ball of his own and made a smart decision facing relentless Red Raider pressure to find his teammates and clear the zone. The 1st quarter ended 2-1 Melrose, with Wakefield’s defense giving the O plenty of opportunities to tie it.
Melrose got more comfortable and into their sets easier in the 2nd quarter. The Red Raider defense stepped up and stopped two man-up situations for Wakefield.
Wakefield got some good looks, most notably on a searing low shot from Bobby Keegan, but Melrose goalie Matt Rocha made some terrific saves to maintain the lead for the home team.
Warrior goalie Ryan Chambers matched that effort with an acrobatic save on a point blank shot just a few seconds later as the action picked up with the clouds rolling and the light fading.
Melrose took a timeout with 5:34 left in the 2nd quarter and finally ended the stalemate on a goal from Matt Dussault.
Wakefield’s defense once again responded well to the challenge. This is typically when the Red Raider offense starts to go to another stratosphere, but Matt Petitto made a nice play to stick with his guy featuring an excellent combination of quick feet and strength to get the ball back to the Wakefield O, and Devin O’Brien had a nice shot block, but Melrose got the final say of the half when Christian Nyland scored on the fast break with just one second showing on the scoreboard for a 4-1 Melrose lead at the break.
While both teams strategized for the second half, the thunderstorm made its move. Melrose got two goals from Wells in the first five minutes of the 3rd to make it 6-1 when the game was stopped due to lighting.
The game will resume in the third quarter on a date to be determined.
