Foxborough Girls Lacrosse Clinches Davenport Title With Win Over Canton

Aside from trying to win on senior day, Foxborough High girls' lacrosse senior captain Abby Tepper looking for her 100th goal, and the magic number to clinch the Davenport Division title at one, there wasn’t much pressure on the Warriors to win.

Sweeping the season series against Canton, the 12-9 victory over the Bulldogs (8-6 overall, 5-4 league) gave the Warriors (9-5, 7-2) a two game lead over Canton in the division standings to clinch the first league title of any sorts for Foxborough.

“Every time we play them (Foxborough), its always been a great game so we play hard against each other," Canton head coach Chris Murtagh said. "What it comes down to like any sport, momentum swings.” 

Canton wasted no time getting on the scoreboard after Michelle McNeil rushed the net off the draw to score only 14 seconds into the match.

The closely fought game eventually opened up after Abby Tepper broke a 3-3 tie with her 100th goal with 7:38 left in the first half. Deciding to wait for Senior Day to score her 100th goal instead of trying to get it during their 16-3 blowout of Bellingham last week, the pressures of scoring the 100th goal was evident early in the game but the goal lifted the stress of the shoulders of the Warriors for an 8-1 run to end the half.

“Getting my 100th goal is a huge accomplishment because I’m standing next to Sarah Giardino and Rachel Jamieson who are very good athletes in the program and I’m in their group now,” Tepper said.

Helping extend the lead for the Warriors was right offensive wing Ellen Decker whose five goal performance played a major part in the Warriors’ win. Down 2-1 early in the game Decker’s goal right in font of the crease tied things up at two. Decker once again knotted things up at three near the net off of Kelsie Morahan’s pass from the top of the 12-meter fan.

“I spoke with Ellen before the game started and I said this needs to be a huge game for you. She has an unbelievable shot. You don’t know even know she has the ball in the stick until its in the net.” Foxborough head coach Brittany Jamieson said.

Another goal by Decker extended the lead to 5-3 as Canton was forced to call a time out and regroup with 7:03 left in the half. The Bulldogs tried to come back with a goal from Jackie Merrigan to make it a one-goal game but the Warriors’ offense remained dangerous as long as they kept possession. 

A wraparound goal by Tepper and another goal from Decker helped extend a lead that would be 11-4 by halftime. 

Despite a rally that saw a five goals from the Bulldogs, the Warriors tried to stay steady and slow down the game while the Bulldogs inched closer.

A goal by Decker made it a 12-7 game but a goal by Merrigan and then McNeil cut the lead to three with a little more than six minutes to play. Getting only one goal in the second half, the Warriors tried to stall when they did have the ball to minimize any potential damage from Canton’s abilities at the draw and avoid losing control of the game.

“My message at half time was we no longer have to do the work so let Canton do it,” Jamieson said. “It's hard to stay settled for 25 minutes so they went out there attacking unnecessarily and I told them let Canton do the work because they have to, we don’t.”

Holding on to a three goal lead with 3:19 left in the game, a huge ground ball by Foxborough's Carrie Long helped drain out the clock as all the Warriors were interested in by that point was protecting the ball and keeping possession away from the Bulldogs.

By the time, the Bulldogs could get the ball away from Morahan who literally ran all across the Canton defensive zone to kill time, there were only seconds remaining before time ran out.

What awaits the Warriors in the Hockomock Cup is currently unknown, with both King Philip and Franklin tied for first place in the Kelley-Rex division, the winner of the large school division will be decided when the two teams face off in their final league game on May 16.

Meanwhile the Warriors still has a ways to go before they battle for the league title. Foxborough will wrap up league play at Oliver Ames on May 15th. The Bulldogs travel to Sharon May 16.