Panthers get big boost
Clamp down on Raiders for important win
WELLESLEY >> When the MIAA released its latest slate of girls lacrosse power rankings this past Thursday, many Franklin fans were left dumbfounded when they witnessed where their beloved program was slotted. You could even go as far to say that some may have felt disrespected.
No matter. When it came time to return to play Saturday, the Panthers took their fury out on one of the premier teams in the commonwealth, and left town with a statement victory. Junior Katie Peterson sniped a pair of goals, helping Franklin overcome an early deficit for a critical 6-4 win over Bay State Conference powerhouse Wellesley.
“Wellesley’s always a good team,” said Franklin coach Kristin Igoe Guarino. “I hope it helps our ranking. I don’t exactly know how the formula works, but maybe it will give us a boost, because Wellesley is having a great season. They’re ranked above us, but yeah, definitely a great game, great win for us.”
For the initial 10 minutes of regulation, Franklin (14-2) struggled to get anything going offensively against Wellesley’s possession game. The Raiders struck for two early goals as Taylor Read and Alanna Dumalac each found the cage to make it a 2-0 contest with 17:06 to play in the first half.
However, once the Panthers found a groove, they seized control of the tempo and didn’t let up until intermission. Lindsay Atkinson got the scoring started for Franklin with 14:44 remaining in the frame, followed by Peterson’s first tally 59 seconds later. In the blink of an eye, the score was even at 2-all.
The Panthers weren’t finished. Kate O’Rourke and Stella Regan each found twine in the closing minutes of the opening stanza as Franklin took a 4-2 lead at the break.
Just 1:56 into the second half, Peterson netted her second goal. Then, Kaitlyn Carney immediately followed with a tally of her own, providing Franklin a 6-2 lead. From that point on, the Panthers defense held firm for the most part.
“We just pulled ourselves out of the hole at the beginning of the game,” said Peterson. “We’re really good at that, just staying positive and converting on offense. It kind of fuels our fire when we get down at the beginning. So, it was great to see the team come back and score six straight goals.”
Atkinson and Carney also finished with assists in the victory for Franklin.
Dumalac added a pair of goals late in the second half to complete a hat trick for Wellesley.
The Panthers will play Hockomock League rival Canton this upcoming week, before closing their regular season schedule with a game against Moses Brown (RI).
“I think we’re always just trying to improve ourselves no matter what happens,” Igoe Guarino said. “We beat NDA, we beat Wellesley, but we kind of have that mindset that we’re not satisfied with our performance, that we can always be better. Once the state tournament hits, you have to have all of your pieces, and you have to be on top of your game.”