Needham dominates Natick to advance
NEEDHAM >> In a boys lacrosse first-round matchup between Bay State Conference foes, No. 13 Needham defeated No. 20 Natick 16-6 to advance in the Division 1 tournament.
The battle was a rematch from May that saw Needham win 7-6, but early in this contest it was clear that the Rockets were the superior team. Needham coach Dave Wainwright attributed this to better discipline and excitement for the playoffs.
“Penalties, and the fact that we had less of them, was big for us,” Wainwright said. “Also the fact that we had seen them before and they had some injuries contributed to how this game went. Also, it’s a tournament game. Everyone rises to the occasion.”
The Rockets only won a singular faceoff in the matchup, but Wainwright said the team can handle struggling in that part of the game.
“We’ve been losing faceoffs all season long,” Wainwright said. “This is not a secret; this is who we are. We have adapted and overcome this deficiency this year.”
The Rockets took off from the jump, scoring the first two goals and leaving the opening quarter with a 5-1 lead. This came from gritty defensive play and timely offensive possessions, including a long pole goal from captain Jimmy Kenney that swayed momentum toward Needham.
“I was able to get a oneon-one matchup that I liked,” Kenney said. “I just had to step into that shot and fire it home. Our attackmen were playing so good that it opened up for me.”
The second quarter saw Natick show some more life, but heroics from Sean Reilly, including a behind-the-back goal, helped
Needham leave the first half with a 9-3 lead. The junior attackmen said he knew he was making the attempt as soon as he saw the opening.
“When I caught it, I knew I was going to throw it that way,” Reilly said. “I’ve thrown it before this season and I know, in that space when I catch it, it’s my best option.”
The third quarter saw an increase in physical play, but the Rockets were not fazed, tallying on five more goals and leaving with a commanding 14-4 lead. Two goals apiece in the final quarter gave the game its final score.
Natick received two goals each from Quinn Pinkham and Pete Metcalf, with Brady Kittler and Gabe Elkin adding the other two. The Rockets had four goals from Reilly, three goals from Spencer Chapman and Cal Sullivan, and two each from Jimmy Kenney, Reis Conway and Charlie Cohen. Reilly attributed the flow of the offense to a diverse game plan.
“We like to switch up our plays a lot,” Reilly said. “It allows us to move around and attack from different spots.”