Williams girls collect the hardware with SENE lacrosse title
Blue complete a perfect season with victory over Marianapolis in final
Waterford — Chris Emmerson, coach of The Williams School girls' lacrosse team, knew the Blues had a good shot at winning a championship Wednesday afternoon, finishing the season unbeaten at 13-0.
He wanted to do something special for his players and, knowing the Southern New England prep school league doesn't normally hand out medals or trophies, Emmerson went through his personal collection of medals he's received from competing in triathlons and brought them to the field.
He saved the two Iron Man triathlon medals, the largest of the group, for his captains, seniors Bella Griscom and Grace Linhares.
"I love my girls. I love my team," Emmerson said. "Thirteen-and-oh is something to be proud of. I knew (at the beginning of the season) we had the capability to be a really, really good team . ... There's no quit in these girls."
Williams topped Marianapolis Prep 14-9 for the SENE title at the Williams Athletic Complex, led by five goals and three assists from freshman Audrey Matson and four goals from fellow ninth-grader Sophie Salgar.
The win erased the memories of last year's championship game loss to St. Andrew's and resulted in Emmerson being doused by a few of his players wielding a water bucket.
"We lost in overtime last year. That was heartbreaking," said Griscom, an attack/midfielder, who along with Linhares is a three-year starter. "This is the best way to finish."
Griscom said she was "super-stressed" at halftime, when Williams saw a 6-2 lead dwindle to 8-6.
Marianapolis came within 7-6 with 2 minutes, 37 seconds to play in the first half, then appeared to tie it 7-7 seconds later only to have a goal dis-
allowed.
Williams took advantage to turn the momentum back in its favor at the 1:33 mark on a goal by Katia Bourganos assisted by Matson.
Matson scored three goals in the first half and Salgar added two.
Marianapolis kept the deficit manageable, trailing 10-8 with 12 minutes remaining, when Williams got consectutive goals by Matson, Salgar, Matson again and Bourganos to push the score to 14-8.
"(Marianapolis) is really wellcoached, really well-disciplined," said Emmerson, in his third season at Williams. "... (Last year) was a tough loss to take.
“Today, we wanted to keep the same game plan, play the Williams way and we can't lose. Anything up until today doesn't matter; just play the next 50 minutes."
Williams starts three eighth-graders on the varsity, Catherine Shannon, Dylan Park and Ellie Fader.
Linhares, a defender, said she was nervous at the beginning of the season due to the graduation of some of last year's personnel, but calls this group "a team of fighters."
"It doesn't even feel like it's trying to include (the younger players)," Linhares said. "It just is. We're a big family."
If there's one word Emmerson would use to describe his players it's "coachable."
"They come ready to play. They come ready to learn," Emmerson said. "They want to get better and get better . ... They really are just great, great girls. There's a great administration (at Williams), a great athletic director, great girls. There's not one bad thing about this school.
"The eighth-graders are learning from the older kids, the older kids are learning from the coaches."
Bourganos finished with two goals and an assist for Williams, Fader had a goal and two assists, Shannon and Park one goal each and Griscom an assist.
Lindsey Noniewicz made 12 saves in goal.
Emily Sheridan scored four goals for Marianapolis. v.fulkerson@theday.com