Final- Norton Lancers vs. Bellingham Blackhawks: Girls Lacrosse

Norton girls cheer on their teammates as they are checked in by the referees.

               The Norton Lancers took on the Bellingham Blackhawks on May 22, 2015.  The girls lacrosse game took place at Norton High School for a non-league match. Hardworking individuals on both sides battled it out, but the more experienced team of the Blackhawks took the win with a score of 9-5. Bellingham had a 4-14-0 record going into the match against Norton. The Blackhawks had defeated Norton 20-2 on April 21, 2015 and were definitely looking to put another win under their belt. Norton did not make this easy, however, by decreasing the goals allowed by 11 and scoring 3 more.

                Freshman Taylor Mulvehill scored 2 out of 5 goals Norton put up on the board against the Blackhawks. In her first season playing lacrosse, Taylor was the Lancer's starting midfielder. Mulvehill scored a total of 5 goals. From her midfield position, Taylor was able to assist 5 goals throughout her season as well. Declared one of the fastest players on the team, Mulvehill used her speed and aggression to be one of the leaders, although she is only a freshman.

                 "We went into the game thinking we could beat them. We were really intense and we worked together," said Mulvehill.

                 Within the first three minutes, Bellingham put one on the board to make it 1-0. Later in the half, they scored again. By the 7 minute mark, Taylor was given an 8-meter shot due to a push that was declared a foul. She scored off of it, but the goal was overridden because Mulvehill was given another 8-meter shot due to shooting space because a Blackhawk defender interfered with her shot. Mulvehill was able to score again even after the second call. She put the Lancer's on the board with a 2-1 score about halfway through the beginning half.

                  In the first three minutes again, Bellingham scored making it 3-1, and coming back around the 9 minute mark to make it 4-1. Towards the end of the first half, sophomore Christi Brennan made a long, strong pass to senior Emily Weber who faked out Bellingham defenders and got a shot off. However, the goalie was able to save it. The Blackhawks then retaliated and put another one on the board to have a 5-1 score at the end of the first half.

                 The Blackhawks were able to start with an almost immediate goal at the start of the second half, giving them a 6-1 lead over the Lancers. Following was another goal for a 7-1 lead. About halfway through the second half, Mulvehill made a run the length of the field and was fouled. She was given another 8-meter shot, of which she scored and made the game 7-2. Soon following, Emily Weber maneuvered her way through the Bellingham defense and had a strong shot that the goalie was not able to stop. However, Bellingham fought back to score two more goals making the score 9-3 going into the last 5 minutes of the game. Norton dominated these last few minutes, scoring 2 more goals both by Christi Brennan.

The team comes together at the end of  a practice.

                 In Norton Girls' Lacrosse's first season as a program, they went 0-15-1. They played an independent schedule, wanting to choose who they play in order to develop before entering the tough Tri-Valley League, Coach Mary Pasquantonio led a team who improved throughout every game. In the beginning games of the season, they were defeated 20-2 by Attleboro, 15-0 by Medway, and 16-0 by Nauset Regional. Towards the ending games, Norton was closing the margins significantly. Against Metro, they were only defeated 7-4. Norton also tied the JV Medfield team 9-9.

                 As the season came to a close, the athletes reflected on their improvement. "We proved to not only Bellingham but our entire school that we can compete with them, with any other team, and that we are improving," said Mulvehill. Taylor and the rest of her team look forward to what next year can bring for Norton Girls Lacrosse, including some wins to display all their hard work.

<---- Taylor's Interview.












Mulvehill's first goal: (6:00-end)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
 • What was the score of the Bellingham vs. Norton game on 5/22?
• What was Bellingham’s record going into this game?
 • Was Norton’s decision to get a lacrosse program the right one?
• Lacrosse’s popularity has increased over the recent years. Do you think this affected anyone’s decision to play?
• In what ways did Norton’s first year of lacrosse succeed?