Mt. Greylock Girls Lacrosse Bows Out in Quarter-Finals
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- From the start of the Mount Greylock girls lacrosse season, the team made a pact, one that stood throughout the 2015 season right until the clock ran out in their Division 2 Western Massachusetts quarter-final game.
"We said in the beginning of the season, everything we did, we want to do it together," Mount Greylock coach Lindsey von Holtz said. "Win together, lose together.
"They showed it right at the end as every single one of them went to the goalie and they walked back to the sideline as a team, which is very exciting as a coach to still have that even when your season comes to an end."
The Mounties, who earned the No. 4 seed in the Central/Western Massachusetts Lacrosse Tournament fell to No. 5 Groton-Dunstable, 15-6, on John T. Allen Field on Sunday.
The Mounties struck first, two minutes in with the senior duo of Lucy Barrett assisted by Kelsey Orpin, but Groton-Dunstables's Nikki Wilkinson fired back two minutes later, putting in her first of five goals for the afternoon; all which came in the first half to lead her team to a 10-3 half-time lead.
Wilkinson quickly proved to be one of Greylock's biggest threats for the afternoon as she also added four assists.
"We knew coming in that she was their leading scorer and that she was going to be tough," von Holtz said. "We were moving people around a little bit on her, but the way their offense works you have to switch marks frequently, so it was a different person each time."
Wilkinson didn't find the back of the net in the second half. She did add two assists, but the Crusaders saw goals from five different players which led them to the final 15-6 victory to advance them to the semi-finals.
The Mounties battled until the final minute and proved they're a team who fights until the end with a goal that came with 1 minute, 24 seconds remaining. The goal came from freshman Caroline Flynn and was assisted by Emma Pulumbo.
"The second half they were heads up and they were working," von Holtz said. "I'm impressed and incredibly proud of them how hard they worked until the bitter end. I mean the score as it was and knowing what the result was going to be, they didn't give up, which is the great thing about this team."
Mount Greylock is losing three seniors from their 2015 squad: goalie Sam MacWhinnie who totaled eight saves, Lucy Barrett, and Kelsey Orpin.
Barrett and MacWhinnie both reached career milestones this season; goalie MacWhinnie with 200 career saves and Barrett with 200 career points.
"Every senior is a loss," von Holtz said. "All three of them were huge players out there, both their play and their leadership during practice will definitely be missed; I think we have people who fill those roles, but they will not be replaced easily, we will miss them."
The Mounties will return 17 players next season and von Holtz says that they're a very hard working group. She hopes that the unity of this year's team will carry over to next season.