Apr 4, 2024
Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Boardman’s Lacie Dray evades a Golden Eagles defender while setting up a play against GlenOak.
BOARDMAN — The stretch of dreary weather recently has encroached on local schedules all around the Mahoning Valley, lacrosse included. Fortunately, the lackluster weather held off long enough for Boardman and Division I foe GlenOak to duel on the turf, with the Spartans falling 7-4.
A strong downpour settled in just as the match concluded, but the Spartans’ offense committed a few too many turnovers. Junior Cassie Austin netted all four of the Spartans’ goals, three of a free position opportunity.
“The first three quarters, there were too many mistakes made on our side, especially when we were down near the cage on offense. Too many dropped balls. When there’s ground balls, not going after ground balls aggressively, same thing on defense,” Boardman coach Matt Pavone said. “We got to talk a little bit more on defense, keep each other on a higher level, keep posted where we’re at.”
“The whole momentum changes from there, these girls get into their own heads, and you got to get the play there to make sure you train them to get out of that space and go from there.”
Boardman (1-2) took its only advantage of the contest early at 1-0 following a free position goal from Austin, but the Golden Eagles (4-1) strung together three consecutive scores throughout the first and second quarters to lead 3-1 going into halftime. Both squads battled for draw controls, but GlenOak kept finding a way to fend off the Boardman offensive within the shooting space.
Later down 4-1, Austin found the back of the cage for the second time, this time off the hanging hash mark on another free position opportunity. GlenOak kept its foot on the gas during the third frame, leading by as much as 7-2. Austin scored two more times during the last 2:33 of the contest, once more off the free position, a second on an unassisted goal directly in front of the cage.
Sophomore goalie Kendalyn Wyant added five saves in the cage for the host Spartans.
“(Austin) is one of our strongest scorers so far this season, if more of these girls would be aggressive going to the cage, I think we’d have three or four more girls right up there with her, but right now she’s in that leadership role where she’s being aggressive and attacking the cage and that’s what I like to see,” Pavone said. “It starts at practice. We got to drill down more in practice when we’re in the 8- and 12-meter shooting area, we got to train these girls to do a lot better.”
The spring is still in its early stages, but Pavone feels that he has a strong core of leaders to help play big roles this season, such as center Ava Gaps, defensive midfielder Jasmine Graham and attack Lacie Dray.
“I put a lot of pressure on those ladies to rally up the team when we’re behind and hopefully they’re speaking up out there, I trust them,” Pavone said. “One great thing is that we have game film, we’ll fall back and watch this on game film. GlenOak is a good Division I team, we’re a Division II team, which means basically nothing in my head. We want to attack these teams as much as we can.”
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