BERLIN- Worcester Prep’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team got by a pesky Salisbury School, 11-5, on the road on Tuesday, but it wasn’t always pretty.
The Mallards used a three-goal surge late in the first quarter to gain some separation from the Dragon and pretty much played Salisbury School even the rest of the way to earn a tough 11-5 win. Worcester took a one-goal lead early in the first quarter but struggled to find the back of the net for much of the rest of the period before a quick burst.
Worcester standout Justin Butler opened the scoring barrage with a quick goal on a one-on-one situation with the Dragons’ keeper after picking off a clear attempt. Butler scored with 1:44 remaining in the first quarter to extend the lead to 2-0. Worcester’s R.J. Smith cranked a shot past Salisbury School goalie Jake Graves with 14 seconds left in the first quarter to extend the lead to 3-0, but the Mallards weren’t finished yet.
After a Salisbury penalty, Alex Ternahan cranked a shot past Graves with four seconds left in the period to extend the lead to 4-0. When the dust settled, Worcester had scored three goals in just over a minute at the end of the first to open a four-goal lead.
Worcester extended its lead to six goals by halftime, but the Dragons would not go down easily. The two teams exchanged goals throughout the second half with Worcester coming out on top, 11-5, by the same six-goal margin they held at the half.