Pesce Leads Mounties to Second Straight Western Mass Title

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Gianna Pesce scored five goals and assisted on two more Wednesday to lead the Mount Greylock girls lacrosse team to a 19-2 win over Pope Francis in the title game of the Western Massachusetts Class B tournament.
 
" 'Super-G' was amazing today from the start," Mount Greylock coach Jeff Stripp said. "She came ready to play and set the tone with an emphatic first goal from an Ainsley Abel feed. 
 
"Most teams try to focus on Abel and Polumbo - but they better not take their eye off of our attack: Gianna Pesce, Lexi Politis, Phoebe Hughes, Addison Abel and Molly Cangelosi."
 
Abel and Polumbo each scored four goals. Hughes had a hat trick, and Lexi Politis scored twice for Mount Greylock, which got a goal from Meghan Lagerwall.
 
Abel and Politis each hit a milestone on Wednesday. Abel notched her 100th point of the season, and Politis picked up her 100th career point.
 
"Sarah Polumbo and her circle girls dominated today while Pope had a good strategy in place for dealing with Sarah," Stripp said. "Emily Langlois always has her girls prepared and
they fought hard.
 
"Hats off to them - defensively we focused on Audrey Mason and Kaitlyn Ondrick. I thought both played well and demonstrated why they are in the tops of offensive players in our conference."
 
Ondrick and Kaitlyn Griffin each scored for the Cardinals.
 
But the Mounties (18-2) allowed five or fewer goals for the 10th time this spring.
 
"Tanley Drake played lights out and Sofia Asch had the best game of her season today especially her work on the clear," Stripp said of the Mounties' defense. "A player that does not get enough recognition is our junior defensive leader Abaigeal Fuls. Her role goes beyond playing tough defense, but she is in charge of the defense with her communication and poised leadership. She has helped our defense develop and mature at a much quicker pace than I expected this year."
 
Christy Rech made three saves to earn the win in goal.
 
Mount Greylock moves on to the Division 4 State Tournament, where it is seeded eighth and will host Oakmont Regional in the first round.
 
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