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Early run helps push STAB girls lacrosse past Albemarle

Photo by Ashley Thornton

Friday afternoon’s girls lacrosse showdown between Albemarle and St. Anne’s-Belfield was billed as a meeting between two teams considered the top two squads in central Virginia through the first half of the season.

 

STAB left no debate as to which team should be considered No. 1.

 

The Saints scored early and often, getting eight goals from Annie Cory and jumping out to a 5-0 lead before four minutes had elapsed, effectively sealing the result in the game’s opening minutes. Cory scored four of those goals

 

“We like to get off to a fast start — we did the same thing on our game on Tuesday,” Cory said. “Even when Albemarle started to make a run in the middle of the first half, it was nice to have built up that cushion.”

 

The Patriots got off the mat with 19:17 to go in the first half, getting a goal from Gwen Pattison, but the Saints got two more quick ones from Caroline DiGiacomo to extend the lead to 7-1 10 minutes in. DiGiacomo scored six goals for the Saints.

 

Albemarle appeared to get its game on track, holding STAB scoreless for the next six minutes while getting goals from Mary Earles and Jennifer Wendelken, but they didn’t score again the rest of the half and STAB opened up a 13-3 halftime lead.

 

“We have a great combination of veterans and younger girls, and the veterans have done a great job of pulling the younger ones up with them,” Blake said. “All those girls on attack have a great connection and they have a nose for the goal.”

 

Things got worse for the Patriots after the break as the Saints scored the first three goals of the second half. Albemarle got no closer than 12 goals the rest of the way, with the Saints looking to milk the clock in the final minutes.

 

STAB’s dominance was due in large part to its success on draws where they won 20 of the 27 draws.

 

“We talk all the time about the draw because if you win it, you’re automatically on offense,” STAB coach Mary Blake said. “We also talk about sticking some goals early and making it hard for the other team to dig out of that hole.”

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