Mallards Rebound From 1st Loss with 21-4 Win

Mallards Rebound From 1st Loss with 21-4 Win
meredith smith

BERLIN- After its shot at a perfect season was shot down with a 13-12 loss to Cape Henlopen last week, the Worcester Prep girls’ varsity lacrosse team returned the favor this week with a 21-4 thrashing of previously unbeaten Poly Tech at home on Monday.

The Mallards entered last Wednesday’s home game with old rival Cape Henlopen with a perfect 10-0 record on the season, but lost a heartbreaker, 13-12, to end the dream of an unblemished record. In the Cape game, Lily DiNardo led the Mallards with six goals, while Meredith Soule, Mary Clare Regan and Allie Greer each scored two twice.

Back in action on Monday, the Mallards took on Delaware’s Poly Tech, a new program that was working on an unbeaten season of its own. Perhaps venting a little frustration after their first loss of the season, the Worcester girls’ thrashed Poly Tech, 21-4, to improve to 11-1. Worcester led 10-3 at about the midway mark of the first half and made it 11-3 on a fast break goal by DiNardo with just under six minutes remaining.

After a slashing penalty, DiNardo scored again less than a minute later on a direct penalty shot to extend the lead to 12-3. Poly Tech scored with just nine seconds left in the first half to cut the lead to 12-4 at the intermission. Just over a minute into the second half, Worcester’s Alex Bruder scored on a nice assist from DiNardo to extend the lead to 13-4. Regan made it 14-4 after a steal and a quick goal with just over 19 minutes left.

Less than a minute later, Regan found Katelin Talbert on the crease with a perfect feed and Talbert converted the goal to push the lead to 15-4 with just over 18 minutes left. Talbert scored again with 16:50 remaining to extend the Mallards’ lead to 16-4. Molly Marshall scored on a direct penalty shot to make it 17-4 with 12:50 left in the game.

DiNardo made it 18-4 with a goal on an unsettled situation in front of the Poly Tech net with just under 10 minutes remaining. Meredith Smith got in the scorebook with a goal on a penalty shot with eight minutes left to make it 19-4. Soule found Talbert on the crease with a nice assist at the 2:53 mark to increase the lead to 20-4. Soule scored a goal of her own with under a minute remaining in the contest to close out the Mallards’ 21-4 win.

Worcester closes out the regular season this afternoon with a home game against Sussex Tech this afternoon. The Mallards will host an Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) semifinal next Wednesday, which will also be Senior Day.