After Competitive Start, Somers Falls 16-5 to Rye

On Monday March 25, the Somers Lacrosse team opened the season and faced a pretty tall order in their opponent. “Rye is a well coached disciplined team who support each other in every position,” said Coach Deb Daly. But a halftime 7-5 deficit didn’t look so bad - until it did.

Rye would score nine straight goals, and a 16-5 Somers defeat followed.

No surprise, Rye got out of the gate first. Coming from behind the net, Della Goodman posted up, spun into space and went overhand to beat Campbell Sternberg at 10:52.

The Garnet wasn’t the only one with moves, though. On the opposite end of the field, Molly Fink was a solo act too. Dancing, cutting and dragging her defender in every direction, she made space and beat Karenna Chader to tie the score with 9:25 left in the first.

But the Rye goalie refused to let Somers get a lead. Moments later, Sydney Ingraham unleashed from the right, and Chader made easy work with her catcher.

The offense didn’t wait long to reward there goalie’s good work either. Mary Sack eventually got ahead of the field, and like a fast break in basketball, she found Goodman alone on the right. No real chance for Sternberg, the attacker had her second goal.

At 7:09, the Rye momentum was now in gear. In charging on the left, Sack drew a herd of elephants and a penalty. She put in the free shot and wasn’t done yet.

With the quarter running down, Whaling held the ball in the end zone, and Sack made her cut. On the attacker’s stick and in the goal, Rye led 4-1.

Not giving in, Somers made the most of the remaining 28 seconds. Ingraham won the draw, Somers set up, and Ingraham made a perfect pass into Jocelyn Klein. The penalty called, Klein then made good with the clock showing zero and cut the lead in half.

Into the second, hustle would get Somers one closer. Sack’s shot going wide after the draw, the Tusker defense was closer to the ball and back the other way play went.

Of course, the Rye defense was not obliging, and Somers could not find an opening. That is until Fink had enough. She made an end run around her defender, tip toed goal line and cut in for the kill. Up high, she shot and made it a 4-3 game at 9:09.

The chance for a tie was next. Lyla Mancini drew the penalty on the left, but her free shot went high at 4:10, and the margin remained.

Not for long, Rye had another Whaling, and she kept the tally going. Beau Whaling put a move on in front, danced into the crowded Tusker reserve and swung overhand for a 5-3 game.

At 2:09, the sister act continued. Lilly Whaling took the pass up high, drew the triple team and dished into Annie Toulouse. She reached up and her sidearm sling didn’t leave Sternberg move hope.

Now 6-3 with 1:44 left in the half, Somers refused to relent, and Fink was once again the most adamant. She took a pick left and swung away to close in at 6-4.

31 seconds to go, this time Rye was the team that couldn’t tell time. They won the draw, Toulouse marked the spot at X and hit Molly White on the run. Full steam, she went overhand and closed the half at 7-4.

Opening up, Somers stayed on the stick, and Fink showed the could give as well as she received. No look needed from the top, she hit Mancini on the goal line, and the attacker came forward to make it a 7-5 game.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the end was on the way. Starting from behind, Lilly Whaling forced her way forward, boxed her way in and had enough space to shoot past Sternberg.

7:48 left in the game, it was all Rye after that and had Daly honing in on what was missing for her team. “Somers is still searching for their chemistry,” she concluded.