THE MHS girls’ lacrosse team saluted their seniors on May 15 prior to their win over Stoneham. Pictured from left: Emily Lucien, Alison Doherty, Lucy Clark and Sophia Hitchman. (Photo by Raj Das edphotos.com)
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High girls’ lacrosse team is enjoying a 10-4 record and has officially punched their ticket into the Div. 2 playoffs thanks to back-to-back wins over Stoneham and Marblehead. Currently power ranked #14 in Div. 2, Melrose will see their playoff journey open sometime next week as they look to make a postseason run.
Just last Saturday, Melrose traveled to Piper Field in Marblehead and enjoyed a historic win over Marblehead, 14-6.
Melrose head coach Alicia Geiter credited the team’s big win over the Magicians. “They are a powerhouse on the North Shore and we had a battle of a game. Anna Matthew’s controlled the draw and continues to make huge impacts to our team. That girl is so humble is wild.”
Melrose had previously started their winning streak with a 20-8 win over Wilmington on May 10. Melrose junior Jill Frawley simply had a game with 6 goals against the Wildcats. “Jill really led the week as a whole,” says the coach. “It was a very evenly distributed goal scoring game and we had a lot of players scoring more than one goal. Wilmington is a great team with a great coach.”
Melrose senior captain Sophia Hitchman was in the net and earned another big win. “She had great saves and really extended her save total for this season,” says her coach.
On Wednesday, May 15 Melrose went on to dominate Stoneham in a 17-6 home win. It was a senior special for Melrose, which was appropriate as it was Senior Night and honored their seniors Sofia Hitchman, Alison Doherty, Emily Lucien and Lucy Clark.
“Our seniors really stood out,” says coach Geiter. “Alison and Lucy led the attack with goals from each. We had goals from almost all of our offensive players. Middies and attack were working together to create opportunities and give people shots. We had goals from some of our younger players which was awesome to see.”
Geiter credited the Spartans for a solid effort. “Again, a great team with a great new coach. They were fast and hustled. Their goalie was great and had good offensive shots.”
Defensively, Geiter shines a light of the senior Lucien. “Emily stood out, she’s our senior and leader of the defense. She’s our rock and was all over the field this game. She’s what you want in a player and a teammate. She makes great stops and is there to help when needed.”
With playoffs now assured, coach Geiter reflects on the contributing factors to their winning season.
“I think there are a lot of things but mostly it’s the girls and their mindset. They are all so close off the field that it really helps the chemistry on,” notes the coach. “They support each other in such positive ways and still hold each other accountable.”
Melrose finished second in the Freedom League behind Burlington, one of the only four teams whom Melrose fell to this winning season. Says the coach, “I’m happy with our standings and think the girls should be proud of their hard work.”
“We’re celebrating the little things which help tremendously with an athletes confidence. Even if things don’t go our way we bounce back. We’re not taking our foot off the gas!”
Fans are encouraged to visit our social media pages or the MIAA website at www.miaa.net for up to date tournament information.
