BATH — The pre-game festivities were special, as 11 senior Morse High School girls lacrosse players celebrated their Senior Day at McMann Field on Tuesday.

The fired-up Shipbuilders carried the momentum of the ceremony into the first 10 minutes of their game against rival Mt. Ararat, leading 2-1.

But, the Eagles ruined the party with a first-half scoring spree en route to a 16-9 victory.

Mt. Ararat is 7-3, with another rival waiting in the wings on Thursday in Brunswick (10-0), while Morse, though 3-7, sits in third place in the cluttered Eastern Maine Class B standings, where the top teams (Yarmouth and Freeport) are just 5-5.

“We knew it was going to be a battle, but once we settled down, our transition was really good,” said Mt. Ararat coach Sam Chard. “Our goal was to play much better than the first game. Sure enough, we did. We won almost every single draw, which was big in this game.”

“We were passing the ball, moving it quickly, playing intense defense, and I wondered if the adrenaline could last the whole game, but then it came down to them not dropping balls for a while,” said Morse coach Linda Levesque, whose Shipbuilders visit Messalonskee on Thursday. “We have a lot of heart, and we’re doing good stuff. Disappointed to lose, but Mt. Ararat played a good game.”

Haley Michaud was the difference for Mt. Ararat. She scored five goals, four during the Eagles’ run from down 2-1 with 15:48 remaining to a 12-4 halftime lead.

“We’ve been working on transition for a while in practice, and finally it was working, with us making the right passes,” said Michaud, whose team defeated the Shipbuilders in overtime just eight days earlier, 16-12. “We had a lot more drive and heart today, and played a lot smarter.”

Morse jumps ahead

After the Shipbuilder parents made their way to the stands after the festivities, including the beautifully sung Star Spangled Banner by Morse senior Lauren Crosby, the Shipbuilders came right out with all the momentum, especially after Morse captain Christina Stuart scored 2:28 into the contest.

Mt. Ararat tied it on a Carly Raymond goal, but Morse shot right back as Ali Miller intercepted an Eagles clear near midfield and caught the Eagles flat-footed before burying a high shot for a 2-1 Shipbuilders edge.

Michaud tied the game off an assist from Rowley Jones, and put Mt. Ararat ahead to stay moments later, converting a pass from Raymond for a 3-2 lead. Sara Berry made it three Mt. Ararat goals in a 3:15 span for a two-goal edge, with Levesque calling a Morse timeout.

The Eagles came out of the timeout firing on all cylinders, outscoring the Shipbuilders 8-2 the rest of the way in the first half for a 12-4 lead at the break.

Michaud won 13 of 17 draw controls in the opening 25 minutes, with the Eagles finishing with a 17-8 shot advantage.

“We fell into a little bit of rut, and it’s hard sometimes to not have the focus that we need,” said Morse senior captain Stuart. “I think lacrosse is a game of momentum, and once you lose that it is tough to get the focus back. Haley (Michaud) is a big player for Mt. Ararat, and as soon as you step into a double, she takes advantage of it pretty well.”

Michaud’s fifth goal 14 seconds into the second half upped the Eagles’ advantage to a game-high nine goals, 13- 4, but Morse refused to quit, getting a goal each from Tori Field, Stuart and Miller to close to 13-7.

“They’re a tough team to play against, and Morse plays hard every game,” said Michaud of the Shipbuilders.

Hannah Hauser scored after a Mt. Ararat timeout, but goals by Stuart, her teamhigh third, and Sophie Sreden trimmed the Eagles’ advantage to 14-9.

But, Hauser answered with 8:06 remaining, with Jones finishing off a pass from Raymond to complete the scoring and a 16-9 Mt. Ararat victory.

Now, Chard will prepare his team for the Dragons, who held off the Eagles on April 30 for a 10-9 victory.

“This week we’re better than we were back then, the second game of the year,” said Chard of his squad. “It will be a battle, guaranteed, and we’ll see what happens. These girls can play and it showed today.”

Jones scored three goals and picked up two assists for Mt. Ararat, with Berry, Hauser and Sierra Gilley adding two goals each. Raymond picked up a goal and two assists, with Johnson (goal) and Sonja Robert (assist) chipping in. In goal, Eagles netminder Anna Bruning had four saves.

Miller and Field both finished with two goals for Morse, with Guerin Morissette and Sreden chipping in a goal apiece.

Shipbuilders netminder Crystal Leavitt had three saves.

Mt. Ararat 16, Morse 9
At McMann Field, Bath

Mt. Ararat — 12  4 — 16
Morse — 4  5 — 9

Goals — (MA) Carly Raymond, Haley Michaud 5, Rowley Jones 3, Sara Berry 2, Sierra Gilley 2, Cat Johnson, Hannah
Hauser 2; (Mo) Christina Stuart 3, Ali Miller 2, Guerin Morissette, Tori Field 2, Sophie Sreden.

Assists — (MA) Sonja Robert, Rowley Jones 2, Carly Raymond 2.

Shots — Mt. Ararat, 24-21.

Saves — (MA) Anna Bruning 4; (Mo) Crystal Leavitt 3.

Draw controls — Mt. Ararat 18-9.

Records — Mt. Ararat 7-3, Morse 3-7.

Next — The Eagles visit Brunswick on Thursday (4:30 p.m.), while the Shipbuilders travel to Messalonskee on Thursday (4 p.m.).

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