PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Nolan Craven Monday scored six goals to lead the Pope Francis girls lacrosse team to an 18-5 win over Pittsfield.

 

The Cardinals used an 8-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters to open a 13-2 lead and never looked back in improving to 2-0 this spring.

 

Pittsfield (0-3) played its best lacrosse after going down by 11 goals.

 

Ella Kroboth scored two of her four goals in the closing moments of the first half to get the margin back to single digits, and Pittsfield held Pope to just two goals in the third quarter.

 

“I’m pleased with our effort today,” Pittsfield coach Kim Madden said of her squad.

 

“We’ve got a lot of new players, still learning the game. I’m pleased with the effort today. We’ve just got to get the whole team involved.”

 

For most of the first quarter, it looked like the Generals were going to be able to hang with the Cardinals.

 

Kroboth scored the game’s first goal on a free position, and Pittfield held that lead for almost three minutes before the Cards’ Craven tied it. A minute later, Jordyn Balint scored to give Pope Francis a lead they never relinquished.

 

But with just under a minute to play in the quarter, Pittsfield’s Lilyana Ferris scored to make it a 5-2 game and give the Generals some hope.

 

The visitors answered with three goals in the space of 28 seconds to end the quarter up by six and scored the first five goals of the second quarter before Kroboth was able to break the run.

 

Zoe Shepard made five saves in Pope Francis’ goal to earn the win.

 

Laniyah Gregory made four stops for Pittsfield, which goes to Chicopee on Friday.

 

Photos from this game here.