Sparrows Point girls lacrosse beats Loch Raven, 14-7, thanks to surge in second quarter
Loch Raven girls lacrosse seemed to be in a good position after holding a 4-3 lead at the end of the first quarter against Sparrows Point. But the visiting Pointers locked in, started dominating on draws and embarked on a game-changing run.
Junior attacker Ava Kessel connected with junior midfielder Danielle Anderson for three goals in the second quarter and Sparrows Point never looked back as it defeated Loch Raven, 14-7, on Tuesday.
It was the fourth straight win for Sparrows Point (6-4) while Loch Raven (8-2) had its five-game winning streak come to an end.
Pointers coach Katie Roof talked with her team heading into the second quarter about improving offense and defense.
“The talk was that we need to be better sliding on defense, see our ball and girl and win the draw,” Roof said. “I think they responded really well. I think that they worked together, made those connections and got the ball in the back of their stick and then the back of the net.”
Sparrows Point opened the second quarter with five straight goals and outscored the host Raiders 7-2 in the frame. Anderson scored five of her game-high eight goals in the second quarter alone to help the Pointers get separation.
Kessel and Anderson are in their third year playing together. Their chemistry, combined with Kessel’s field awareness and vision, aided the second-quarter run, which ended with a 10-6 halftime advantage for Sparrows Point.
“I think where me and Danielle play when we start the game, a lot of it has to do with knowing when our cuts are coming,” Kessel said. “With me down low, I know that Danielle can receive feeds in both hands. So with me just looking at her, I just know she’s able to get it.”
Another factor in the lopsided second quarter was the draw control advantage. After holding a 6-2 first-quarter advantage, Loch Raven struggled throughout the rest of the game. Sparrows Point controlled nine draws to Loch Raven’s four across the final three quarters.
Loch Raven was shorthanded with injuries to three key players: Molly Frey, Alli Henning and Grace Chester. Still, Roof knew it would be a battle, and she was right early in the game. The injuries to the Raiders did not affect how Roof prepared her team for the game.
“Another game, same preparation,” Roof said. “I came out saying they were going to be good… and they came out good. They came out strong. I think we just had numbers on them, too. We had some depth that they don’t have.”
The depth advantage proved helpful for wearing down the Raiders on offense. After sophomore midfielder Sarah Watkeys scored three of the team’s four goals in the first quarter, the Raiders scored just three goals the rest of the game.
Anderson said many defense improvements over the final three quarters centered around team mentality.
“A lot of the game is mental, for this team, especially,” Anderson said. “Definitely [on defense]. On and off the field, we always have to be supportive. So I feel like when we were all supporting each other, it was way more helpful for them. They got more motivated.”
The Pointers’ win comes at a big time for the team, which hosts Pikesville on Thursday before gearing up for the playoffs.
“I’m excited for playoffs, and hopefully we can see this team go really far. I think this is one of the best [teams] yet that we’ve had,” Roof said.