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BRUNSWICK — Make it, take it. It’s a style of lacrosse that’s hard to beat.
Add some quickness and aggression like the Brunswick girls lacrosse team did Tuesday night, and it was easy to earn a Senior Night victory over a rival.
Brunswick (8-6) controlled the draw circle and was disruptive on the ride and creative on the attack on its way to a 16-5 win over Mt. Ararat (6-8) in the regular-season finale for both teams.
“These last couple of weeks, these girls have really come together and played for each other,” Brunswick coach EmaLeigh Mathy said. “That’s something that we’ve said over the last month. We’ve kind of taken it as a new motto, it’s ‘We play for the love of the game and we play for each other.’ And every time we kind of keep manifesting that, they get better, and they get better, and they get better.”
Seven Dragons scored, led by midfielders Solveig Ledwick, a senior, and Morgan Barnhorst, a freshman, who each tallied four goals.
Four players scored for the Eagles, and Jaelyn Jensen had two assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• From the beginning, Brunswick was ready to take control. Ledwick won the opening draw and then finished the play, slotting a feed from Eva Kousky just 51 seconds in. The Dragons climbed to a 4-0 lead midway through the first quarter before Isabella Murphy put Mt. Ararat on the board.
• Quality offensive chances were rare for the visitors, as the Dragons either kept winning at midfield (16 of 22 draws) or forcing turnovers early in Mt. Ararat’s possessions.
“We really emphasize getting on ball as soon as possible and picking up those close girls before we worry about the girls further away,” Ledwick said. “We try to get close and double ball and go from there.”
Mathy says the trust her players have in one another to back up a shot or cover a ground ball has grown as the season has progressed, which helps Brunswick maintain or create possessions.
“It used to be at the beginning of the season, I’d have to tell them where to go and everything,” Mathy said. “Now they just do it. Lacrosse is such a creative sport, so they’ve really been playing with their abilities, which has been fun to watch.”
• Brunswick used offensive craftiness around the crease to extend its lead to 11-2 by halftime.
“We work on our transitions a lot at practice and 1-on-1 defense, so that really helps us driving and creating plays,” Barnhorst said.
• The Eagles played better in the third quarter, successfully clearing the ball and putting shots on net. Brunswick led 12-4 going into the fourth, then won five draws and scored four more goals to pull away.
STATISTICAL LEADERS
• Mt. Ararat: Isabella Murphy, Jenna Jensen, Mia Madsen and Celiah Godo (one goal); Jaelyn Jensen (two assists); Joy Stewart (eight saves)
• Brunswick: Solveig Ledwick and Morgan Barnhorst (four goals); Eva Kousky (three goals); Nataleigh Cantrell (two goals); Sara Saavedra Estrada (two saves)
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