WAHS Girls Lacrosse Knocks Off Salem

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By Nick Ward

April showers came early this year, with a steady downpour ceaselessly pounding the field at Warrior Stadium during the girls varsity lacrosse game against Salem March 27, and this may have something to do with the ladies blossoming into such a tremendous force so early in the season. Nancy Haws’s team is lead by standout senior Bridgett Lynn, who will be heading to George Washington University to continue her lacrosse career. Lynn, along with her other talented teammates, put on a great show in the rain last week, beating their foe 18-12. 

The Warriors got off to a fast start while the rain was just a drizzle, outscoring Salem 4-1 in the first five minutes of the game. Salem struck first, scoring a goal less than two minutes into the first half. Haws’s team bounced back quickly on the sodden ground, with Lynn scoring two goals, Ellen Shaffrey scoring one, and Stewart Summers adding another, giving the girls a comfortable lead. 

Salem added their second goal as the rain began to pick up, cutting into WAHS’s 3-goal lead, but Shaffrey added her second goal of the evening with 12:26 left in the first half, giving the Warriors a 5-2 lead.  Lynn scored her third goal not long after, using her foot speed and amazing dodging ability to slice through the Salem defense and shoot a beam into the bottom lefthand corner of the net. Not to be outdone, Shaffrey, who is only a sophomore, scored for the third time with 6:00 left in the first half on a quick stick goal on a pass coming from behind the goalkeeper. 

With three minutes left in the first half, and the rain coming down at a new high for the evening, Salem scored, making the score 7-3 Warriors. On WAHS’s next possession, junior Jordan Haws scored a goal on an 8-meter shot after a penalty.  And quickly after, just before the half was to end, Lynn added her fourth tally after running a complete circle through the Salem defense before shooting a bounce shot from right outside of the crease, making the halftime score 9-3 Warriors. 

As halftime drew to a close, it was obvious that both teams were prepared for a serious second half, but the Warriors’ focus prevailed as Lynn scored her fifth goal only 18 seconds into the second half off an assist from Shaffrey. Although the WAHS got off to a hot start in the second half, Taylor Tate of Salem would not be denied, scoring back-to-back goals in the next three minutes, cutting into the Blue and Gold’s large lead. With 17 minutes to go, the score was 10-5, and Salem had the momentum.

Tate’s antics inspired her teammates, and Salem went on to score another three goals unanswered by the Warriors, narrowing the gap in the score to a slight two-goal lead by Western. With all of the momentum on the Maroon and Black side, WAHS needed someone to step up and end their scoring drought in the rain. Anna Liebowitz strode gallantly into the spotlight and managed to trickle in a goal, through the mud and the muck and between the goalkeeper’s legs, with 13:58 left in the half.  Liebowitz was not finished and on the next Warrior possession assisted on another of Shaffrey’s goals off a penalty restart. Lynn continued the WAHS rally with her sixth goal of the game, giving the Warriors a 13-8 lead. 

Salem won the ensuing faceoff and was able to push another goal past the Warrior goalie, but Summers quickly answered with her second goal of the contest. Caroline Turner quickly followed suit, scoring a close-range goal off an assist from Lynn, broadening the Warrior lead to six goals, 15-9. 

As the game wore on, and the boys varsity team, who played after the ladies came out onto the sidelines to cheer for their classmates, the rain continued and the field conditions grew steadily worse. Neither team had an easy time staying on their feet while making cuts, and ball control became an issue. Although the girls were playing in slop for the final seven minutes or so, the mental toughness of Haws’s team showed in the foul conditions, and the Warriors were able to extend their lead even further. Lynn scored her seventh and last goal of the night, capping off a wonderful evening for herself. Turner scored her second goal quickly after Lynn’s seventh, giving the girls an 18-10 lead, securing the victory with only five minutes remaining. Salem was able to score two goals in the waning seconds of the match, but the Warriors held strong in the rain and added another win to their season total.