Sports
Watertown Goalie Helps Metro Girls' Lacrosse Team to Bay State Games Victory
McDonald makes key saves down the stretch as Metro out-slugs Northeast/Central 18-11 on Saturday morning.
WALTHAM – The Metro team was locked in a slugfest with the Northeast/Central team during the second day of the Bay State Summer Games girls’ lacrosse tournament on Saturday morning.
Good thing Metro had rising junior Brenna McDonald on its side. The goaltender made the tough saves in net when it mattered most to help lead Metro to an 18-11 victory at Waltham High School.
Hometown rising senior Michelle Kudlate of Waltham High School scored a game-high seven goals, while rising sophomore Shannon Fitzgerald of Newton North High School had six scores and Jordan Sullivan of Malden and Mystic Valley Charter scored three times. Bridget Wack of Waltham High School and Kayla Farina of Newton North had one goal a piece.
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For Northeast/Central, Katie McKenna of Danvers High School had four goals, Meredith Anthoine of Andover and Central Catholic High School had two and five girls scored once each.
Sadie Landon of Leominster High School was between the pipes for Northeast/Central.
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Both teams ripped off impressive goal-scoring runs. Metro had a run of six straight goals that spanned the first and second halves, while Northeast/Central answered back with four straight scores.
Midway through the second half, Northeast/Central pulled within one at 12-11, which was the closest the game had been since it was tied 5-all with about 10 minutes left in the first half. It was too close for Metro coach Alisa Arakelian, who called time out and gathered her team on the sideline.
“I sort of tried to go a little inspirational,” she said. “I told them that it was hot out for us, it was hot out for them, the calls are going both ways and it comes down to if you can dig that competitive edge out of yourself from down deep then that’s what’s going to win the game for you.”
Well, her Knute Rockne impression worked, as the Metro team launched one more run to seal the victory. It scored the game’s final six goals after the time out, controlling the play and keeping Northeast/Central at bay.
“I said, ‘I don’t want you to answer me right now. I want you to answer me on the field if you want to win or not,’” Arakelian said, of her pep talk. “So I said get out there and show me. And they did.”
Metro was scheduled to play again Saturday evening at 5 p.m. The Gold Medal Game and the Bronze Medal Game are slated to be held at Waltham High School on Sunday afternoon.