All Systems Go as Rams Head into Girls Lax Final

The New Canaan Rams girls lacrosse team played one of their most complete games of the season in their 11-5 wire-to-wire win over the Glastonbury Tomahawks in the rain on Wednesday at Fairfield Warde High School. From Olivia Hompe's opening score five minutes after the first draw to the final horn, the Rams were in total control. Eight Rams scored, led by Kacey Pippitt, who posted three goals.

Coach Kristin Wood said afterwards that the team played the full 50-minutes in all phases of the game.

"Our girls played today with 100 percent focus and determination and we plan to do it again on Saturday in the championship game," Wood said.

After Hompe scored the first goal, Pippitt scored the next two—the first unassisted and the second off a rebound of her own shot.

"We were positive throughout the game and we wanted to make sure our season wouldn't end until Saturday when we play for the championship," Pippitt said.

With the Rams leading 3-0 and controlling all areas of the field, they scored a fourth goal that was text-book perfect. Lauren Freeland initiated the play with a steal near midfield. She passed to Anjalie Christie, who was shadowed all game, often in double teams. Christie didn't hesitate and fed Elizabeth DeTour who buried it for a 4-0 lead. New Canaan made it 5-0 on a perfectly executed give-and-go—Pippitt was the giver to a cutting Sarah Mannelly who made it a 5-0 game.

The lead increased to 7-0 when Christie scored on a spin move followed by Erin Markey with a helper from Mannelly.

Glastonbury got on the board with 3:30 left in the half when Jessica Searl scored past Charlotte Spitzfaden, who otherwise had an excellent game with seven saves. It was 7-1 at the break.

The teams traded goals to start the second half. The Rams scored first on a Freeland goal, assisted by Mannelly. Then the Tomahawks made it an 8-2 game when Abigail Searl scored. After Pippitt got her third goal, Glastonbury responded with two in a row; Jessica Searl scored her second, followed by a Lauren Pierce score to make it a 9-4 game with four minutes remaining.

Mannelly then broke through a group of defenders for her second score and moments later Hompe scored to make it a seven goal lead with three minutes to play. The Tomahawks' Nicole Geist added one more goal for the 11-5 final.

Pippitt and Betsey Hart echoed the sentiments of the entire team when they said they were looking forward to playing another FCIAC team for the states championship. Both had said they hoped it would be Darien, last year's winner in the title game over the Rams, but it will be Greenwich after the Cardinals beat the Blue Wave 11-9 in the other semifinal at Warde Wednesday night.