Westwood Cruises to Sectional Finals with Win Over Wellesley

If you haven’t seen the Westwood girl’s lacrosse team in action, you are truly missing something special.

Ask any fan and they will tell you about the team's passing attack, as well as the players' ability to share the ball and move it with ease from one to end to the next.

Westwood’s Wednesday night match against the Wellesley Raiders (16-2-1) was no different, as Leslie Frank’s Wolverines jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before cruising to the easy 18-7 win.

Westwood controlled the back line, with Laura McHoul setting up fellow captain Sarah Biron for multiple first-half scores from which the Raiders offense, led by Blake Dietrick, couldn't recover.

Biron credited her fellow captains for their offensive continuity.

"We work really hard in practice, working off picks and marking off each other, having all seven of us around and the four main captains, Kate (Rich), Laura, Emily (McGrail), having us there and having us hold the offense really helps," Biron said. 

The Westwood offense usually finds its way in the press on a daily basis, especially with Biron (six goals) and  McHoul (three goals, 10 assists) who on Wednesday led the way.

Likewise, Frank praised Meg O’Sullivan for shutting down Wellesley superstar Blake Dietrick.

“I thought our defense played outstanding,” said Frank following the South Sectional Semi-Final win. "And Meg O’Sullivn is our unsung hero; she is fast, she doesn’t foul, she is tireless, she is just amazing.”

Dietrick, playing in her last lacrosse game before heading off Princeton in the fall, managed to score four goals and none tougher than her two in the second half to cut down on a 17-5 Westwood second-half lead.

“I really thought it was my job to step up and score," said Dietrick. "But it’s tough when their entire defense is waiting for me.”

It was also a tough way to go out for Wellesley coach Christine Molonea, who has been at the helm for both field hockey and lacrosse for 30 years. Still, she had words of praise for her team and Dietrick.

“I think we did a terrific job this season, we stuck together,” said Molonea. "These kids have supported each other this entire year.”

Concerning Dietrick, Molonea said, “I couldn’t have been more fortunate to have a kid like that.”

For Westwood, the team earned a date to play Friday against Needham in the South Sectional Finals, in what many thought was a rebuilding year for this sophomore and junior laden team.

“A lot of people have stepped up and we have a lot of good underclassmen,” said McHoul.

Frank reiterated that statement, and praised  Biron for leading the way in the development in her younger players.

“The seniors see it as their job to bring everybody up, no one is treated like a sophomore, no one is treated like a freshman,” said Frank. "I credit Sarah for leading by example and I credit Laura for being a good student.”