Archbishop Spalding girls lacrosse spent the second half correcting first-half mistakes — reclaiming draw controls from St. Mary’s, for starters, and intensifying possessions.
By the final minute of the third quarter, sophomore Ella Jane Ostrowski fired the warning shot, the tying goal. Then, Spalding unleashed Gabby Greene.
The senior midfielder lashed two consecutive goals, and another a few minutes later. Ostrowski joined her, replying to the lone Saints goal of the fourth quarter with another one of her own just 10 seconds later.
Not long after, Spalding flooded its field, screaming and jumping after it’s 10-6 victory — the Cavaliers’ unbeaten status intact.
“These are always rivalry games between us. So when decided to actually turn it on and play Spalding lacrosse,” Spalding lacrosse coach Tara Shea said, “we showed how dominant we can be.”
It’s emblematic of what this nationally-ranked Spalding team can do, even when it’s down. Currently, the Cavaliers (5-0) nurse a slew of injuries, including one to star midfielder Maeve Cavanaugh. Her pressure-defiant absence on the draw circle and net didn’t go unnoticed in the first half.
Greene, a University of Florida commit, stepped in, leading the stat sheet with four goals on four shots, with an assist, two draw controls and a caused turnover.
“She’s doing a really nice job of taking control, not only of her own play, but trying to get the whole offense on board,” Shea said. “It’s a heavy load and she’s handled it really, really great.”
After a lackluster first half that ended with Spalding trailing, 4-2, the Cavaliers transformed in the second. Ellie Downs, Ellie Roberts and Greene snatched up four draw controls, all of which led directly to Spalding goals. The midfield success gave the Cavaliers confidence, which flowed into communication and sharper defense.
The Saints fell a man down at the end of the third quarter into the fourth, leading to the next two goals. Spalding gripped that morsel of momentum and didn’t let go.
“We just realized as a team we’re better than [the first half],” Greene said, “and we stepped up as a team, calmed down and realized the second half was a new game. We realized we could do it.”
When Spalding threatened to run away in the fourth quarter, St. Mary’s didn’t wither. Its attacks crowded Cavaliers goalie Ella Davis, pelting her with would-be goals the sophomore keeper swallowed up for the bulk of her eight saves.
“These kids are battling. We have a lot of kids contributing. We just got to find our groove,” Shea said. “I don’t think anyone’s seen the best of Spalding lacrosse yet.”
St. Mary’s (5-1) never pulled away from its hosts, but rode a wave of momentum in the first half. After the Saints took a 1-0 lead through a back-and-forth turnover exchange, St. Mary’s quickened the tempo.
The Saints claimed both first quarter draws and all six of the second quarter. They rarely gave the ball up and, when they did, it resulted in a pair of penalty goals for the Cavaliers. Junior midfielder Anna Ervin reveled in the St. Mary’s possession monopoly, snapping in two goals while junior midfielder Chloe Wiese turned a quickly-won draw into a goal.
Still, the Saints couldn’t enact the damage they wanted. Spalding stepped up in physical blockade against the Saints shooters, forcing turnovers and a handful of St. Mary’s shot clock violations.
St. Mary’s coach Tom DeMaio looks to the positives. A four-goal loss isn’t the 12-5 bitter pill the Saints suffered just a year ago. Given the newness of his team and how long it held sway over the field on Wednesday, the first-year coach felt happy anyway.
“We played as a team and gritty — it’s what we’ve been trying to accomplish in the time I’ve been here, and the girls really supporting each other,” DeMaio said. “As much as we wanted to win, we feel it’s still a winnable game.”
St. Mary’s — 1 3 1 1 — 6
Spalding — 0 2 3 5 — 10
Goals: SM — Ervin 2, Wiese 2, Hodor 1, Spurge 1; AS — Greene 4, Ostrowski 2, Collins 1, Mullen 1, Wrenn 1. Assists: SM — DeMaio 3, Ervin 1 Burnam; AS — Baselga 2, Greene 1, Mullen 1. Saves: SM — Drain 4; AS — Davis 8.