Fast Start Sends Lenox Past Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Oliver Kirby scored five goals, and the Lenox boys lacrosse team jumped out to a 9-0 lead en route to an 18-5 win over Pittsfield at Berkshire Community College.
Kirby scored three goals in the first period, helping the MIllionaires build a nine-goal margin after 12 minutes of play.
Evan Love scored four goals and set up two more and Matthew Mairo and Milo Davis each had a hat trick as Lenox improved to 3-1 this spring after dropping its season opener.
“We’ve won three straight now,” first-year coach Sean Soper said. “The fellows are coming together at practice. The captains are doing really well, getting us all together.”
Jeffrey Larmon stopped six shots and allowed four goals for the Millionaires before turning over the cage to Jackson Currier, who stopped one shot in the fourth quarter.
Lenox got off to a quick start when Kirby scored in the first 20 seconds and poured it on from there, dominating at the faceoff x and cashing in on its possessions, getting a pair of goals and an assist from Love in the dominant opening quarter.
“We got off to a fast start,” Soper said. “The kids were moving the ball, finding open teammates, which I love. I think the last game, we missed a lot of guys that were wide open, and today we hit those and it was great.”
After falling into a deep hole in the first period, Pittsfield bounced back with four goals in the second – three off the stick of Preston Phair, who ended the day with four scores.
“It’s tough seeing nine goals for the other team up there, but our defense became a lot more physical,” Pittsfield coach Matthew Johnston said of the second quarter. We started closing off some of the easy passes they were making, and it helped our offense out with turnovers.”
Javon Jones had the other Pittsfield goal in the second quarter, which ended with Lenox on top, 15-4.
The second half was played under running time. It also saw the goalies take over with Larmon and Currier stopping six of the seven shots they saw and Pittsfield’s Jude Wojtkowski turning aside five of Lenox’s eight shots.
“Any time you’re taking that many looks [30 in the game] at the goal from the other team, you want to stop, hopefully, half of them, which he’s pretty consistent doing that,” Johnston said of Wojtkowski. “In my opinion, he’s gonna be one of the best goalies around this year … and next year, too, when he’s a senior.”
Pittsfield (0-3) hosts Chicopee Comp on Thursday at Egremont Elementary.
Lenox (3-1) hosts Monson on Thursday.
Photos from this game to come.