MHS SENIOR lacrosse players were honored recently at their game against Malden. Among those celebrated were (from left, pictured with coaches Alicia Geiter and Matt Galusi) Rory Kirby, Jenna Maguire, Kailey Donovan, Olivia Galusi, Ali Maguire and Kate Hubbard. (Raj Das www.edphotos.com)
Malden win seals the deal on Senior Night
By JENNIFER GENTILE
MELROSE—The Melrose High girls’ varsity lacrosse team will see a post season thanks to an overwhelming 16-1 win over Malden at home on Friday, May 27 that helped Melrose (9-9) earn their ninth win of the season—just enough to qualify them for a Div. 2 playoff run.
Playoff brackets are expected to released at the end of this week. Melrose is currently ranked about #33 in power rankings and could either host a play-in game or hit the road against higher-seeded teams. Fans are encouraged to visit our social media pages or the MIAA website www.miaa.net for up to date tournament information.
Against Malden, Melrose seniors came through in the clutch. None more so than senior captain Kailey Donovan who had a triumphant return on the field just in time for Senior Day and Melrose really benefitted from the newly returned player off the injury list. Donovan had a hat trick to help Melrose top the Golden Tornadoes, including the game’s opening goal. “It was so amazing having her back,” says Melrose head coach Matt Galusi. “You should have seen the reaction on the field after her first goal. Even our goalie ran out of to congratulate her.”
One source of pride for Melrose was that every senior was able to score on their special day. Beyond Donvan’s hat trick Melrose saw goals from Kate Hubbard, Olivia Galusi, Jenna Maguire, Rory Kirby, and Ali Maguire (with 3 goals and a generous 5 assists). Also adding to the offense were Sofia Pitcher, Alison Doherty, Lucy Clark and Megan Casey. In a fun twist, goalie Sofia Hitchman also found the net on offense when she saw relief in the net from Gabby Hill.
“Our defense looked great,” added Galusi. “It was a total team effort and we didn’t really allow to really enter our zone and you can’t ask for more than that.” Once again, Melrose saw great work at the net from sophomore Sofia Hitchman.
One thing is for sure, Melrose will face tough competition in the playoffs. Says Galusi, “Me and Alicia [Geiter] self scout and watch video. We’re self critical and find things to fix for us, like turnovers, which has hurt us earlier in the season. We can do things if we protect the ball well and become more free wheeling on offense and believe in ourselves. When we are firing on all cylinders, we can be a tough out.”
