Sports
Duxbury ends girls Lax season
The Martha's Vineyard Regional High School girls lacrosse team played Duxbury to a standstill in the first half of their Division 2 South semifinal game at Daniel McCarthy Field last Thursday. But the Dragons superior passing game would not be denied in the second half and Duxbury pulled away to a 12-6 conclusion.
The green team scored the game's first two goals in the first five minutes, at 2:51 and 4:54.
The Vineyarders responded with two of their own in the next five minutes. Laura Jernegan bounced one past the Dragon goalie at 6:08 and Cristina Wiley followed with another at 9:45 and the score was tied.
Duxbury untied it a minute later to go up 3-2 but Kate Cecilio snagged the ball at midfield and ran through the Duxbury defense to even the count again at 12:58.
Photos by Ralph Stewart
The Dragons took a two-point lead with a goal at 19:50 and another with a half minute on the clock. That was enough time for Cristina Wiley to score again.
At the half-time break the Dragons were ahead, 5-4.
Duxbury came out like a house afire for the second period. They scored three times in the first three minutes. Jill Caramello, who had scored the final goal of the first half scored the first two in the second. Meg Muncey scored the third, all off passes from Trish Babson.
Suddenly trailing 8-4, a team with less gumption might have folded.
Not the Vineyarders! Laura Jernegan scored unassisted at 4:01 and Molly Fischer followed at 5:13.
But that was it. The Duxbury defense held the Vineyard at bay while the offense added four more on their side of the ledger to finish on top, 12-6.
Zoe Fisher was busy in goal and kept her team in contention with ten saves in the first half. She finished with 14 saves in all.
Coach Betsy Dripps told The Times she was very proud of her players and more than pleased with their showing against a very strong and well-coached Duxbury team. She gave much credit to her assistant coach, Kurstin Meehan.
The next day, Duxbury lost to Norwell in the Division two South finals.
Only four Martha's Vineyard players are lost to graduation: Jane Alexander, Rachel Schubert, Nica Sylvia, and Sarah Sylvia.
Three girls have been chosen to play in the Connecticut vs. Massachusetts juniors game at Trinity College, Hartford: Christina Wiley, Zoe Fisher, and Laura Jernegan.
Women's League begins play
The Martha's Vineyard Women's Softball League began play Tuesday evening with two games at Veterans' Park, Tisbury, and another at the West Tisbury School.
The Snaps scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, which turned out to be enough to defeat the reigning champion Creamers who were held to a single run in the top of the fifth. Liane Dixon smashed a solo homer for the Snaps in the fourth. Final score: Snaps 3, Creamers 1
At the same time, on the lower (and wetter) field at Tisbury, the Honeys scored four runs in the second inning and four more in the third, then added three in the fourth and two in the seventh to claim a 13-2 win over the Late Fees.
At West Tisbury, the Shady Ladies and Toppers raced around the base paths scoring a combined total of 24 runs; 16 of them by the Shady Ladies.
The Swingers were scheduled to play a fourth game, under the lights at Tisbury. But the game was canceled as the league's eighth team, still unnamed and without a sponsor, could not field a full squad.
Friday league games will be played at Tisbury only. Sara Ahrens and Veronika Van de Geer are co-commissioners of the league.
