It may be spring break, but the Peabody lacrosse team was fully focused Wednesday (April 12) morning as it beat Danvers 15-9 for a third consecutive win.
Although the scoreline gives off a comfortable win, the Tanners overcame adversity in the first half and made timely adjustments before finding a groove.
Down by a goal (5-4) with 6:40 left in the first half, the Tanners finished the half on a 4-1 run to take an 8-6 lead at the break. Sophomore Brooke Lomasney topped off the barrage with a goal just before the halftime horn.
“I think [the momentum] was huge,” Peabody assistant coach Amanda Donahoe said. “This is a team that is always looking to get the win and will do anything it can. I think the intensity and consistency that we have – to never give up – I think was the reason that got us over the edge.”
In the second half, Donahoe made some adjustments in an attempt to tilt the field. One was having Ally Bettencourt take faceoffs.
“We wanted to get some balance and comfort,” Donahoe said. “Ally is a phenomenal athlete and she did really well. She has great speed and her intensity and consistency really held us through the game.”
The switch worked, as Peabody won the majority of faceoffs afterwards and punished the Falcons with constant pressure.
And talk about ball-movement – Lomasney dished out a clever pass to Madi Barrett for a sneaky finish to give the Tanners a 12-7 lead in the second half.
“I think that’s the difference between now and the start of the season. We are really starting to move the ball around and play as a unit of seven,” Donahoe said. “And being really creative with our passes.”
The Tanners got off to a rocky start, dropping their first three games. However, they’ve rallied back to get to .500 (3-3).
“I think we had a tough start to the season. We started 0-3 and our goal was always to get back to .500. We made some minor tweaks and adjustments and really started to play as a team, and our individual success is being brought out by the team’s success,” Donahoe said.
Individuals sure did shine on Wednesday. First, it was Lomasney who couldn’t be tamed with her six goals.
“That’s Brooke. She sets a ceiling and breaks right through it,” Donahoe said. “She’s a phenomenal lacrosse player and she really leads the offense in many ways. People look to her for consistency and comfort. She makes big plays and sets people up. She’s a great teammate.”
Secondly, it was goalie Caitlin Snow who saved 12 shots, including some crucial first-half saves to keep the Tanners in it.
“Caitlin Snow is the backbone of this team,” Donahoe said. “She’s a great leader, she works really hard, and she inspires others. She helps us when we need to be picked up and I think her skill and ability helped push us through the season to get us back to .500.”
Points (Peabody)
Lomasney: 6 goals, 2 assists
Barrett: 4 goals, 1 assist
Bettencourt: 2 goals, 1 assist
Siobhan Smith: 1 goal, 1 assist
Angela Fabbo: 1 goal, 1 assist
McKenna Forni: 1 goal
