Sports
Marblehead Boys Lacrosse Win First Round Thriller In Overtime
After finishing second in the Northeastern Conference, the boys lacrosse team defeated Wayland to advance in the State Tournament.
With only a few heart-stopping seconds left in overtime, the 12th seeded Marblehead boys lacrosse team (14-5) came out victorious with a 10-9 win over 21st seeded Wayland (10-10) in a Division 2 East first round game at Piper Field Tuesday.
Marblehead also earned the privilege of placing second in the Northeastern Conference and was honored with the Team Sportsmanship award.
The game started out as electrifying as it ended, with Marblehead leading 4-1 until Wayland took the advantage at halftime, 5-4. Marblehead regained control leading 9-6 in the fourth quarter but Wayland controlled the final period, tying it at nine with just 14 seconds left in regulation.
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"It was your typical back and forth high school game," said Head Coach John Wilkens. "You don't like being put in that spot, where you're up by goals and you let them back in and go down by a goal, but our guys really dug in."
Wilkens, in his ninth year with the Magicians, is a former Midfielder for NCAA-powerhouse John Hopkins.
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NEC all-star attackman Patrick Grady, who scored the game winner in overtime, totaled 3 goals and one assist while midfielder Jess Lipkind is credited with two goals and one assist. Sam Tenney contributed one goal and two assists and Joe Nuccio, Hunter Whitmore, Alex Whitmore and Brian Gellert added one goal apiece.
"It was an awesome game," said Grady, a senior who will attend Elon University in next fall. "It was a little scrappy, and a little messy at times, but we pulled it together and got the win."
Leading the defense was NEC Large Defensive Player of the Year Alex Haigis, and NEC all-star Matt Evans. Matt O'Neil came up with 20 hard fought saves between the pipes to clinch the win.
"It's always been tough to get out of that first round and then go on to the second," said Wilkens, "we always seem to draw a really tough team. Wayland plays in a very good conference and we knew they were going to be tough."
Marblehead will travel to Walpole to face the 5th seeded Rebels (16-3), last year's defending champions, Friday at 3pm.
