Women’s lacrosse clips Falcons in dominant win

Adrien Gobin / THE GATEPOST

By Izabela Gage Sports Editor After scoring eight goals in the first quarter, the Framingham State Rams took a dominant 15-2 win over the Fitchburg State Falcons April 4. This win improves their conference record to 1-1 and their overall record to 4-7. Fitchburg won the first draw control, but Framingham regained offensive control after sophomore Lily Malloy caused a turnover and junior Olivia Berggren picked up the ground ball. Just 30 seconds later, freshman Jenna James netted the first goal of the game off an assist by freshman Kate McGovern. The Rams did not let up, and after the Falcons won the following draw, freshman Kylie Thomas caused a turnover, and Captain Lindsey Cox, a junior, picked up the ground ball. James scored her second goal off an assist by McGovern taking the lead 2-0. Fitchburg’s Nevaeh Chiacchia gained possession for the Falcons on the next draw control, but sophomore Emma Kendzulak forced a turnover and picked up the ground ball. She then took a shot on goal, which was saved, and McGovern went in for the rebound and found the back of the net for the Rams. Senior Kelley Debellis won possession for the Rams, and the McGovern-James connection was successful again, with James breaking through the Falcons’ defense to take a 4-0 lead. A green card on Fitchburg put Framingham a man-up, which they capitalized on when a pass from Captain Alessia Lye, a senior, allowed James to score once again. After Fitchburg’s Noelle Kennedy gained possession of the ball, sophomore Haleigh Cyrus caused a turnover and cleared the Rams’ defensive zone. Lye passed the ball to Kendzulak, who found a gap in Fitchburg’s defense to send the ball into the net for Framingham’s sixth goal. Kendzulak won the following draw control, but unfortunately turned over possession, and Fitchburg picked up the ground ball. However, their attempt to clear their defensive zone failed, and the Rams regained offensive control. Sophomore Madeline Bosma scored off a connection from Lye, and Framingham claimed a 7-0 lead. The Rams did not let up, and after another green card on the Falcons, James capitalized on a pass from Debellis to put another point on the board. The last 4 minutes of the first quarter were quiet, with both teams fighting for possession of the ball. Kendzulak tried to tally another point for the Rams, but it was stopped by Fitchburg’s goalkeeper Caitlin Persson. Only 2 minutes into the second quarter, a green card on the Falcons gave the Rams an extra player advantage, and Debellis earned a free position shot after a foul by Fitchburg, which was successful. McGovern took a shot on goal, but it was saved by Fitchburg’s subbed-in goalkeeper Dakin Kovatch. The Falcons caused a turnover, and a minute after they successfully cleared their zone, Chiacchia put the first point on the board for Fitchburg. Both teams’ goalkeepers, Captain Bella DiMare, a senior, and Kovatch, stayed strong in net for the remaining 9 minutes of the second quarter. Kovatch saved a shot each by Debellis and James, and sophomore Emma Scully caused a turnover to give possession back to the Rams. McGovern and Debellis each took a shot on goal, both of which were high, and sophomore Sarah Lewis tried to find the back of the net only 12 seconds later, but Kovatch held strong. In the last 3 minutes of the quarter, the Falcons had a surge of energy on offense, and Samantha Azzari tried to break through DiMare’s defense, but was unsuccessful. She then earned a free position shot, but DiMare saved it. Framingham came back from halftime invigorated. Freshman Katie Pizzardi won the initial draw control in the third quarter, and Debellis scored, assisted by Lye, less than a minute and a half in. Thomas won the following faceoff, and the dynamic duo of McGovern and James collaborated on another goal only 34 seconds later to take a 11-1 lead for the Rams. Fitchburg gained offensive control and took a shot on goal, but sophomore Allison Wurms, who was subbed in for DiMare, did not let it into the net. Framingham then successfully cleared their defensive zone, and McGovern netted her second goal, assisted by Debellis, to give the Rams an 11-point lead. Chiacchia earned a free position shot after a foul by Framingham, but she could not find a gap in Wurms’ defense. The Rams then had an extra player on the field after a green card on the Falcons, and Bosma took advantage and found the back of the net, assisted by Debellis. For the next 5 minutes, the teams fought for offensive control before a green card on Fitchburg’s Nola Patty gave the Rams another man-up opportunity. Kendzulak tried to capitalize, but her shot went wide. McGovern received a free position shot after another foul by the Falcons, but Kovatch made the save. Framingham remained aggressive, with James and Kendzulak both trying to break through Fitchburg’s defense, but one shot was high, and the other was saved by Kovatch. With just 1 minute remaining in the third quarter, Fitchburg fouled, and McGovern was rewarded a free position shot, which she successfully made to bring the score to 14-1. At the start of the fourth quarter, McGovern earned another free position shot, but Fitchburg’s third goalkeeper, Alexis Muse, stood strong in net. The Falcons took control of the ball after clearing their zone, and Azzari tried to break through the Rams’ defense before receiving a free position goal opportunity, but freshman goalkeeper Mikayla Harvey saved both shots. Fitchburg’s Paige Marchand picked up a ground ball and took a shot on goal, but it went wide. Framingham attempted to clear their defensive zone, but Fitchburg gained possession of the ball and took another shot on goal, which Harvey saved. The Rams remained aggressive and James tried to net the ball, but it was sent wide. Bosma snagged the ground ball, and after a pass from Debellis, James broke through for Framingham’s last goal of the game. After another save by Harvey, the Rams regained offensive control, and James tallied another shot on goal, but it was unfortunately saved. Framingham received two green cards, giving Fitchburg an extra player advantage. Azzari earned another free position shot, which Harvey did not let into the net, but Marchand put a second point on the board for the Falcons a minute later. Both teams fought for possession of the ball for the remaining 3 minutes, and after a wide shot by Bosma, the game ended with the Rams up 15-2. McGovern said, “Offensively, we moved the ball with pace and did a great job passing quickly while limiting turnovers. I think it was one of our best offensive games this season. “Defensively, we worked really hard and communicated well, which helped limit their shots,” she added. James, with seven goals against Fitchburg State and two goals and an assist in their loss against the University of Southern Maine, earned MASCAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season on April 6. James said, “I think everything was just clicking, and I felt really confident going into the game. My teammates were setting me up really well, and I was able to find open space and finish my shots.” McGovern had two goals and five assists in the win, making her an important playmaker on the field. McGovern said when trying to be strong with making plays and scoring, “It comes down to the opportunities I’m given. If my teammates are getting open and working hard, I’m going to do my best to find them the ball. And if I have a chance to score, whether it’s created by me or my teammates, I’m going to take it and try to finish.” She added, “Keeping my head up helped a lot. I trust that my teammates will get open, so it’s really about timing. Fitchburg didn’t pressure out as much, which also made it easier to find those opportunities.” The Rams face the Salem State Vikings on their home turf for another conference matchup April 10. James said going into the rest of the season, “it’s just about staying consistent and keeping the same mindset. We know the teams are going to be tougher, so we have to work even harder in practice and stay focused.” McGovern said the team is focusing on “understanding our potential. We have a lot of skill this year, and to compete in tougher MASCAC games, we just need to play more cohesively as a team.”