Somers Hangs on for 16-15 Win Over Arlington

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All afternoon long on Monday May 17, Somers jumped out, and Arlington fought back. A 16-12 lead with 79 seconds left seemed pretty safe, though. Three straight Arlington goals said otherwise, and 13.9 seconds seemed an eternity. Especially when Arlington won again in the circle, the potential for heartbreak was thick, and that left Emma Donaldson ready to resuscitate. “I have to go get it,” the goalie thought, and she was right.

Open on the right, Sophia Rescigno wasn’t able to connect, and the Tusker quickly found the game’s offensive hero. “I was so happy and hugged Sofie (Conner)” said Donaldson of the six goal scoring eighth grader.

Of course, the game started with Somers scoring, and Donaldson was the impetus. Receiving a pass from behind, Lyla DeGregorio came open in front, and the Somers goalie reached up for the save.

Off to the races, Shea Mullins and Caitlyn Mayfield showed how it was done. The freshman attacker tightroped the goal line, and as she fell into the end zone, a perfect pass found Mayfield in front for the goal.

In at 10:21, Mayfield didn’t let up and stole the ball back on the Arlington transition upfield. She then found Mullins, and on the setup, Sofia Conner drew the penalty. Eight yards out and on the right, the Tusker moved left across the crease and made easy work of the Arlington goalie.

Donaldson’s turn was next. Rachel Lawrence drawing the penalty, her eight yard rush ran into Donaldson’t catcher, and the score remained until Arlington gained a man advantage. Moments later, Rescigno raced through the Somers defense, earned a free shot and took one step to put the ball past Donaldson.

2-1, Rescigno maintained the momentum by winning the draw. Keeping on attack, Lizzy Keevins' cut into the pass had Donaldson shining again, but the rebound to Lawrence was too much even for the Tusker.

The score tied at 3:42, Mayfield matched her counterpart in the circle. She skied for the ball, and Lyla Mancini would reward her from X. On the left behind the goal, the senior passed across the crease, and Mayfield went overhead to regain the lead for Somers.

Mayfield wasn’t done either. In the closing seconds of the period, Mayfield refused to be denied. The middie came from behind and snuck her shot over the head of two Arlington defenders.

The opening period closing at 4-2, the quick break didn’t cool the middie. “She puts the ball where it needs to be,” said Kate Barton, and Amelia Marcus was there to run under the lift. In control, Mayfield calmly stood behind the goal, came forward, and her traverse ignored all the defenders around her for a 5-2 lead 11:26.

The next draw win on the way, Mayfield played the waiting game with Bella Mancini. After Marcus got the scoop on the draw, Mancini perched from behind, and once the setup bided enough time, the player at X hit the pause button. Mayfield’s cut eventually came into focus, and the connection made it 6-2.

However, Arlington answered by scoring four of the next five goals, and it was 7-6 with nine minutes left in the third. On script, Somers responded, and an Arlington turnover at 8:30 began a three goal run.

First, Marcus beat a sideline triple team on the ride, and Conner did the rest. From behind the net, she circled all the way to the right, and her shot gave Somers a 8-6 lead at 7:36.

Mayfield then got the draw to her middle school teammate, and Conner continued. On the goal line, the defense let its guard down, and Conner took advantage. She bolted for the cage and easily scored for a 9-6 lead.

At 7:04, Arlington took the next draw, but Donaldson didn’t care when Nicole Petrillo swung out front all by herself. The goalie reached up and snared the point blank shot.

Still, Arlington wouldn’t let the goalie off the hook, and Donaldson was put on the scramble. Eventually, she found Megan O’Reilly, and she got it to Marcus, who raced the ball to the Arlington side. A head shot put Barton on the charity stripe, and her goal made it 10-6 at 5:29.

So Arlington seemed vanquished and even more so when Mayfield drew the ball to Conner. Not quite, the Admirals scored the next three goals, including with 1.9 left in the third.

A turnover once again got the elephants on their horses - especially Conner. Barton got the scoop, and once receiving at midfield, Conner went galloping. “She finds a lane,” said Barton.

Then it’s a matter of firing the thrusters. “I just sprint as fast as I can,” said Conner, and all the way to the goal, the Tusker made it 11-9 at 11:19.

Mayfield got back on the circle ledger too. Her draw went to Barton, and Marcus went on the swing. Rolling right, she hit Mullins on the goal line, and the freshman made it 12-9.

Scoring with 10:22 remaining, the next goal came after Ari Scully was mauled on the sideline. Advantage one, Mayfield centered to Mullins, and Somers had three in a row.

At 8:29, Mayfield won on the whistle, and moments later, she didn’t need to make a sound. With Marcus drifting left, and Mayfield sliding right, the connection was made on the interior. The junior turned, and her silencer made it 14-9 at 7:40.

Unfortunately, this was no time to relax. Arlington scored the next three, and it was a 14-12 game.

So a win needed in the circle, Mayfield went solo at 3:55. She pushed the ball forward and scooped the bounce. Somers kept the ball for almost 90 seconds before Barton drew a penalty. She rushed, kept low and scored to give her team some breathing room.

Mayfield then let her team take a deep breath on some more solo work. “Caitlyn knows how to get height. She has the draw stick so our strategy was to get the ball in the air and pop out,” said Barton.

The ball to Somers, the same names continued to pop up. From Mayfield, Marcus got the ball on the goal line and she hit a cutting Conner in front for a 16-12 lead.

No time to relax part too, and back to back to back draw wins, set up a do or die. The rock came to Keevins, she passed right to Rescigno and her shot missed the mark. “I was like we got it,” Donaldson sighed in relief, but now the real season begins.

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