BERLIN- In what will likely be the first game of another dramatic trilogy between the two old rivals, Worcester Prep’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team edged Saints Peter and Paul, 11-10, in overtime at home on Monday.
It’s always special when Worcester Prep faces Saints Peter and Paul in any sport, but girls’ varsity lacrosse has produced the most drama in recent years and that trend certainly continued on Monday. The two teams split two regular season meetings last year with the Mallards winning the third, 17-10, in the Eastern Shore Independent Athletic Conference (ESIAC) championship. The two teams have met in the ESIAC title game in each of the last eight years with Worcester winning the last five.
On Monday, the Mallards met the Sabres for the first time this season at home and prevailed, 11-10, in overtime in another instant classic in the long series. The game was tied at 3-3 late in the first half before Saints Peter and Paul started to take control. The Sabres scored two goals within a five-minute span in the first half to take a 5-3 lead into halftime.
Just two minutes into the second half, Saints Peter and Paul scored again to extend its lead to 6-3. In what would ultimately be a game of streaks, the Mallards then went to work to start chipping away. Delaney Abercrombie scored with 22:45 left in the second half to cut the lead to 6-4. Two minutes later, Worcester scored again to cut the lead to 6-5 and tied it at 6-6 with 18 minutes remaining.
Worcester took the lead at 7-6 with 17 minutes left in the game. Saints Peter and Paul tied at 7-7 just two minutes later. With just over 12 minutes remaining, Abercrombie found Marissa Grosso open out front and Grosso converted to put Worcester ahead again at 8-7. Grosso made it 9-7 just 30 seconds later with another goal.
Saints Peter and Paul was not finished, however, and scored three straight unanswered goals to go back ahead, 10-9, with four minutes left. With just 1:12 remaining on the clock, Worcester’s Carly Hoffman found Kaylee Dickson open and Dickson converted to tie the game at 10-10 and send it into overtime.
Less than a minute into the overtime period, a cutting Gracie Gardner got a beautiful assist from behind and fired home the winning shot to give Worcester the dramatic 11-10 overtime win over their old rivals. Again, Monday’s game was just the first of the year between the two teams in what could be another trilogy. Worcester faces Saints Peter and Paul next Wednesday on the road and the two teams will likely meet again in the ESIAC championship.
