Lexington Girls Lax Tourney Game Suspended

Everything was starting to turn around for the girls’ lacrosse team.

It had withstood an early barrage from the Central Catholic High School offense, and was making a game of its MIAA North Division 1 first-round matchup against the Raiders.

But that’s when halftime hit and, more importantly, the lightning. A bolt stretched across the sky above Warrior Field on the North Andover campus of Merrimack College just as the horn blew, signaling the end of the first half. That effectively turned the 10-minute break into a 30-minute lightning delay.

Two more cracks of lightning stretched the stoppage in play to a full 50 minutes before the two teams took the field again. However, play never resumed, as a fourth bolt of lightning forced the suspension of the game, with the score at 6-4 Central Catholic at the start of the second half.

Play between the No. 5 Raiders and the No. 12 Minutemen will most likely resume Friday, LHS athletic director Naomi Martin announced to a group of LHS fans as the teams filed off the field for the final time. j

She said a time and place for the resumption of the game was not certain as of Wednesday night, however, it was “unlikely” it would be back at Merrimack College.

Now, in the midst of an unfamiliar situation, the Minutemen will return to the practice field on Thursday to work out any kinks that presented themselves against Central.

“It was a rough kind of start to the first half, and we were kind of coming together there and then the weather hit,” Lexington coach Kerry Richmond said as she made her way off the field with her squad. “We’ll just have to practice (Thursday).”

The 2011 postseason got off to a rocky start for Lexington, as the Raiders jumped out to a 4-0 lead just less than 10 minutes into the first, 25-minute half. The Minutemen fought back to put in the game’s next three scores in the span of just 3 minutes.

Lexington shook off the jitters and rust to get on the scoreboard with 13 minutes remaining in the half. Senior tri-captain Diana Hines got her team going with a goal off a set piece. It was one of three goals off set pieces for the Minutemen.

The flurry continued two minutes later, when freshman Fiona Fitzgerald caught a pass in front of Central’s net, turned and fired home Lexington’s second score.

Then, with 10:12 remaining, senior tri-captain Meghan McNabb added a goal on a set piece. She gave Lexington its third goal on a rising sidearm shot.

Central Catholic added two goals to take a 6-3 lead with 6:36 remaining, before the Minutemen pulled within two. McNabb scored her second of the day off a set piece to give the visitors their fourth gal.

But the weather began to turn with just fewer than 3 minutes remaining in the half. Fans began slowly filing out of the bleachers when the thunder started, and the pace quickened once the lightning streaked the sky.

The referees conferred several times with each other as well as with officials from both schools before sending the players back on the field 50 minutes after they walked off. A crack of lightning just before the draw to open the second half forced the game to be suspended.