Danvers Girls’ Lacrosse Rolls Into Tournament

The Danvers High girls’ lacrosse team heads into the postseason with plenty of momentum after wrapping up its third straight Northeastern Conference championship Tuesday night with a 14-7 win against Gloucester.

The Falcons (13-5) won three of their final four games and are seeded eighth in the crowded 18-team Division 2 North Sectional field. They take on No. 9 Wayland next Wednesday night at home (7 p.m.) in a first-round game with the goal of exceeding last year’s semifinal appearance.

Rachel Trocchi and Rebecca Cann powered the attack against Gloucester, each scoring three goals to go along with two assists. Sara Perry scored twice and assisted on three goals while Delaney Zecha had a pair of strikes. Katherine Leonard, Katie Szela, Katharine Jennings and Sarah Webster all scored single goals in support of goalie Janelle Parker’s 14-save performance.

Parker had 18 saves and didn’t yield a goal until there was 4:30 left in the game in last Saturday’s 14-1 romp past Salem. Katie McKenna (3 goals, assist), Perry (3 goals, assist), Cann (2 goals, 2 assists) and Julia Calasciebetta (2 goals) provided the offense. Szela, Trocchi, Jennings and Caitlin Tivnan had a goal apiece.

Earlier, the Falcons fell to highly-regarded Ipswich, 12-10, in a well-played match. Trocchi and McKenna both notched hat tricks and Parker finished with 14 saves. Danvers defeated Swampscott on Senior Night, 16-9, led by Perry (5 goals, assist), Trocchi (3 goals, assist), McKenna (3 goals) and Jennings (2 goals).

BASEBALL clinched the NEC South championship for the seventh time in eight years and 11th time in the last 13 with a Monday. Nick Gikas earned the win and Scott Hovey recorded the save. The Falcons (16-4) bounced back from with a 5-2 decision of Gloucester on Wednesday. The Falcons host St. John’s Prep for town bragging rights tomorrow night at Twi Field (6:30 p.m.).

GIRLS’ TRACK placed fifth in last with 49 points. Xanthi Pantazelos (200, 26.66) and Carson Garvin (shot put, 32-7) both finished second to lead the way. The Falcons compete in tomorrow’s Eastern Mass. Division 2 Meet at Bridgewater State College.

SOFTBALL rebounded nicely from last Saturday’s 16-12 non-league loss to Concord-Carlisle to polish off Marblehead Monday, 15-2, in a game halted by the 10-run mercy rule, and Gloucester Wednesday, 5-0. The Falcons (13-5) take part in this weekend’s North Andover Tournament. The field includes Cape Ann League Division 2 co-champion Newburyport (15-3).

BOYS’ TENNIS won three of four matches during a busy final week of the regular season and now stands 13-7 heading into tournament play. The only blemish was a 3-2 non-league loss to Cambridge as the Falcons knocked off league rivals Revere, 5-0, Peabody, 3-2, and Salem, 3-2. First singles Nick Lisichenok finished the regular season with a 19-1 record.

GIRLS’ TENNIS split a pair of matches, defeating Gloucester, 4-1, Monday but falling to Swampscott, 3-2, the following day.

St. John’s Prep

LACROSSE, the defending Division 1 State Champion, took a circuitous route to the postseason but earned a tournament berth with a stellar final week. The Eagles knocked off Catholic Memorial Monday, 18-7; squeezed past Medfield Wednesday, 7-5; and upended Hingham Thursday, 11-4.

The Eagles wrapped up the regular season with a 10-7 record and will host Lowell on June 1 in a preliminary round game (5 p.m.) of the East Division 1 Tournament. The Prep is seeded ninth; Lowell is 24th.

BASEBALL bounced back from last Saturday’s 2-0 non-league loss to Everett to outslug St. John’s of Shrewsbury, 10-6. Thursday night’s game against Central Catholic was suspended after nine innings with the score tied, 5-5, and will resume Sunday at 11 a.m. at Merrimack College. The Eagles (12-5) also trekked to B.C. High this afternoon and take on crosstown rival Danvers tomorrow night.

TRACK ran second to B.C. High in last Saturday’s Catholic Conference Meet after having defeated their namesake Eagles to win the Catholic Conference dual meet title. Sean Enos doubled up with wins in the shot put and discus while Mike Galasso claimed the top spot in the 400. The Eagles next compete in tomorrow’s Eastern Mass. Division 1 Meet at Andover High.

VOLLEYBALL finished the season with a 13-5 record after being bounced in the quarterfinal round of the Division 1 North Sectional Tuesday night by Andover, 3-0.

TENNIS rolls into the postseason with a 16-1 mark, having wrapped up the league championship with Monday’s 5-0 whitewash of Malden Catholic. The Eagles then tacked on non-league wins against Boston Latin, 5-0, and Concord-Carlisle, 4-1.

SAILING is taking part in the two-day Massachusetts State Championship regatta at MIT, which concludes Friday.