by John Osborn
The Bromfield girls lacrosse team lost, 7-6, to the Groton-Dunstable Crusaders Saturday in the second overtime period of a hard-fought battle for the Central/West District 2 championship. The game was played under cloudy skies at Foley Stadium in Worcester before a small crowd of enthusiastic fans from both schools.
The Crusaders jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the opening minutes of the game, but Bromfield's Trojan girls battled back with their characteristically patient offense, first tying the score at 2-2 on goals by senior Sophia Turchetta and junior Meaghan Parlee and then jumping to a 4-2 lead in the final moments of the first half on goals by junior Kaeli Armstrong and Parlee.
In the second half, Turchetta and sophomore Chandler Farley, with an assist from Turchetta, added two more goals to the team’s total, in spite of the absence of junior Meaghan Parlee, who was forced to leave the game after drawing two penalties. But as the clock ran down the Crusaders brought the score to 6-5 and then, with only 30 seconds remaining, took control of the ball and charged downfield to the Trojan goal. There Groton-Dunstable sophomore Leah Garside, with an assist from senior Sara Walsh, tied the game at 6-6 with a shot past Bromfield sophomore goalie Emily Podgorni, taking the game into overtime.
Neither team was able to score during the first three-minute overtime period, but halfway through the second, Groton-Dunstable sophomore Eleanor Eisenklam got off the winning shot, bringing the final score to 7-6, Groton-Dunstable, ending Bromfield’s season and sending the Crusaders to the District 2 state championship.
Coincidentally, the final score 7-6 score was identical to that of the last meeting, in April, between the two teams. Only this time it was the Crusaders, not the Trojans, who were victorious.