Medford's Ryan McCarthy Leads Metro/Southeast to Win

The Metro/Southeast boys lacrosse team kicked off its Bay State Games with a 9-7 win yesterday afternoon on Wentworth Tech's Sweeney Field, thanks in no small part to four goals from Medford High junior Ryan McCarthy and two goals from Medford's John Camara.

McCarthy, who led Medford High to an 11-6 regular season record this season, helped Metro/Southeast jump out to an early lead yesterday with an unassisted goal just 40 seconds into the first quarter. He added another goal at 7:10 in the second quarter to make the score 4-2 Metro/Southeast, this time off an assist from his brother Chris.

But McCarthy saved his most dramatic goal for last. With just under five minutes remaining in the game, and Metro/Southeast playing two men down due to penalties and frantically fending off a Central attack that had closed a 6-3 halftime lead to 8-7, the Medford High junior scored an unassisted breakaway goal.

"To be honest, I had no idea we were two men down," McCarthy said. "I got the ball, and for some reason they didn't slide to me, so I just put it in."

McCarthy's teammate Steve Mahoney added a goal of his own at 6:29 in the second quarter, off an assist from Chris McCarthy. In net, Lexington High School's Shane Foley had 14 saves and played the entire second half, while Wilmington's John Thompson had three saves in limited action.

Milford's Eric Overdahl led Central with two goals in the contest. Six of Central's seven goals came unassisted. 

Metro/Southeast continues its schedule today against Northeast.