NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Eliza Mullen scored five goals, and the Pittsfield girls lacrosse team won for the second time in four outings on Friday with a 17-0 win over McCann Tech.
Mullen scored all five of her goals in the first half, when the Generals built an 11-0 lead
She had a natural hat trick in just about eight minutes to start the game and tacked on a couple of goals in the second quarter.
Pittsfield also got three goals from Caitlyn McDonald and two goals and three assists from Britain Sadowy in its best offensive performance in years.
“Our leadership is starting to take over,” Pittsfield assistant coach Mike Mason said. “We’re starting to play together as a team, which we’ve been looking for all year. They’re playing better as a group, and we’re happy about that.
“We’re going to win some and lose some. Today we played an inexperienced group, and it showed.”
Pittsfield got a combined five saves from keepers Hannah Kickery and Laniyah Gregory, who split time in goal.
McCann Tech backstop Zoe Dupee made six saves.
The Hornets defense was under pressure throughout the game, especially in the first half, when
Pittsfield earned a 14-1 advantage in shots on goal.
McCann Tech coach Christian Chenail knows it is a learning process for his young squad, which features five ninth-graders and five sophomores.
Many of the Hornets come to the spring sport without any youth lacrosse experience to speak of, meaning they’re learning as they go when practice starts each April.
“I definitely see signs of growth,” Chenail said. “We were a good three weeks of indoor practice. We have about 50/50, five or take, returners and new players. We have a lot of younger returners, a lot of younger starters fresh to the sport altogether.”
McCann Tech is in just its second year with a varsity girls lacrosse program.
“They’re definitely taking to it, as far as practice goes,” Chenail said. “With all the rain delays and all the injuries … we’re making the most of it. Now we have three or four games a week, so not a lot of time to work on the little things.
“Today … we’’ll learn from it and move on.”
McCann Tech (0-6) has a couple of days to get ready for its next game, at Hampshire on Tuesday.
Pittsfield (2-6) goes to Chicopee on Tuesday looking to avenge a 12-4 loss in the rain back on April 12.
“We’re starting to trust each other, we’re starting to trust our newer players,” Pittsfield coach Kim Madden said.
