PITTSFIELD, Mass. – The Hoosac Valley girls lacrosse team wasted little time accomplishing one of its objectives in Wednesday’s matinee against Pittsfield at Berkshire Community College: getting Ashlyn Lesure her 100th career point.
Lesure, after all, wasted little time getting within range of the milestone, accomplishing it six games into her sophomore season.
She came into Wednesday’s game needing three points to get there, and she scored the first three goals of an eventual 16-4 win, notching career point No. 100 in the ninth minute of play on Gene Dellea Field.
“It feels really good,” Lesure said. “I definitely would not be here, getting my 100 points, if it wasn’t for [Hoosac coach Molly West]. She has really helped create me into the lacrosse player that I am today.”
After Lesure scored a game-high five goals and added an assist for the Hurricanes (5-1), West said Lesure’s innate athleticism is a big part of the equation.
“Ashley is a great, great athlete,” West said. “She picked up the game really quickly. This is her third year playing, and she really picked up the game.
“She’ just an athlete all around. But in terms of her understanding of the game and her physicality, it allows her to work really well as part of the unit.”
That unit was too much in the end for a young Pittsfield squad, but the Generals struck back quickly after Lesure’s third goal.
Pittsfield won the ensuing draw and got quickly set up in its offense, producing a Madeline Rawling goal to make it 3-1 with 16 minutes, 30 seconds left in the first half.
Lauren Davis answered a minute later for Hoosac Valley with the first of her two goals.
That ignited a 7-0 run for the Hurricanes that ended when Emma Meczywor (three goals, two assists) set up Davis to make it 10-1 with about five minutes left in the half.
Riley Steinman scored on a free position for Pittsfield with 15 seconds left until half-time, but Hoosac Valley won the draw and snuck one more goal in before the break as Mecywor set up Lesure to make it 11-2.
The second half, played mostly under running time, was more even. Steinman and Brittany Sadowy scored for the Generals. Regan Shea scored a pair for the Hurricanes, who also got the third of three goals from Jacinta Felix to finish the scoring in the final minute.
Kennedy Whitley made three saves to earn the win in goal.
Pittsfield’s Hannah Kickery stopped seven shots, including three of the eight shots she saw after half-time.
Pittsfield coach Kim Madden gave credit to her squad for competing, especially on a day when the Generals had just two substitutes available.
“I do think we’re improving a little bit every game,” Madden said. “We have five new players who are new to the game this year. So I feel like it’s starting to come together.”
Pittsfield goes to Monson on Thursday.
Hoosac Valley is off until Monday when it goes to Lee.
