ESPN

CONCORD, Mass. – Seven years ago, the Concord-Carlisle soccer team staged a single game to help raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in honor of assistant coach Steve Wells’ mother Lois. The annual Kicks for Cancer was so well received that in 2011 it had grown to six games and twelve teams. In the past seven years, the event has raised more than $100,000 for cancer research.

On Saturday afternoon, the event reached another milestone, as the Lady Patriots donned blue t-shirts for the first time and took the field against league rival Lincoln-Sudbury. It was the first time that the girls’ programs had taken part in the event and it was announced that all the proceeds for this year would support women’s cancer research.

“It’s nice to get them involved, particularly since all the money being raised is earmarked for women’s cancers,” said Concord-Carlisle boys’ head coach Ray Pavlik after his team’s game in the nightcap. “It was something that they’ve wanted to do and we just finally said it’s time to go.”

According to Lincoln-Sudbury head coach Kate Berry, the process started before last year’s event when former Patriots coach Nancy Slocum started lobbying Pavlik to have the girls join in the event. Although there was no room in 2012, and Slocum stepped down as coach following the season, she continued to push for the girls to be included.

“[Nancy Slocum] and I talked about doing it last year and Ray just didn’t have a spot for us…kudos to her for getting us the opportunity,” said Berry. “I’m so thankful that we got the chance to do that. It’s so great for the girls and I think it’s a really wonderful opportunity.”

When asked if L-S would like to be part of next year’s event, she responded, “I guess it’s up to C-C, but we’d love to take part if we can.”

First-year head coach Peter Fischelis was thrilled for his team to be able to experience Kicks for Cancer. He remarked, “It’s great for the kids, it’s great for the families, it’s great for the crowds and it’s just great to have such a nice day. They loved it; they really had a ball. It’s just a superb event all-around.”

Senior captain and goalkeeper Angela DeBruzzi admitted that the girls had heard the boys talking about the event for years and had always wanted to be part of the day. She said, “It was our first time getting to play in this, which is awesome and to come out here and to support breast cancer awareness.”

She added, “It’s really nice to finally be part of it.”

During Kicks for Cancer, teams do not wear their traditional school colors and uniforms. The players don t-shirts that are adorned with the name of someone that they know (i.e., family member, friend, or coach) that has battled cancer. Lincoln-Sudbury boys’ coach David Hosford talked about how the experience teaches the players to understand the importance of things beyond the field of play.

He also added, “One of the things that is really cool is that we had 15 or 20 of our former players back. They all want to come back and see the moment. It’s not a home game, but in a lot of ways it’s their homecoming.”

DeBruzzi was playing for her grandmother and it was her name that was on the back of her black goalie shirt. She may have been the star of the game and earned her a team a draw (more below), but it was the mention of her grandmother that finally brought a smile to her face.

She said, “I took a picture of the shirt and sent it to her just to make sure that she knew I was thinking of her.”

29th minute honored in boys’ game: As the clock ticked past 29:00 in the first half of the game between the Concord-Carlisle and Lincoln-Sudbury boys, the officials blew their whistle to stop play. Both teams went to the sideline and joined the large crowd lining Doug White Memorial Field for a minute of applause.

The planned stoppage paid tribute to Bridget Spence, the wife of Concord-Carlisle High English teacher Alex Spence, who passed away this year at the age of 29. The 2013 event was dedicated to her memory. Spence was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 22, according to Pavlik, and she battled cancer for seven years, while also working diligently to raise money for Dana Farber.

Pavlik, wearing a t-shirt that said Spence on the back with the number 29, explained, “If there is anyone that is a testament to what Dana-Farber can do…she worked up to the last few weeks of her life raising money for Dana-Farber. She was a pretty special woman.”

The idea for the minute of applause came from one of the players and both coaches agreed to the plan.

Pavlik reflected, “That was cool. It was a nice moment to stop…it was a nice touch to do a moment applause.”

No. 4 Lincoln-Sudbury girls 0, No. 16 Concord-Carlisle 0

Maybe it was wearing her grandmother’s name on the back of her jersey, but Angela DeBruzzi was in inspired form for Concord-Carlisle (5-0-2) when they took on Lincoln-Sudbury (4-0-2) in the 3:30 kickoff. Thanks to DeBruzzi’s heroics, which included five incredible saves in the second half alone, the No. 16 Patriots held the No. 4 Warriors to a 0-0 draw.

“Their goalie was lights out; I think that’s the whole story,” raved Berry. “She played a phenomenal game. I don’t even think we were kicking it right at her; I think she played a really good game in goal. She was awesome.”

Three times in the second half DeBruzzi made a spectacular stop to rob junior forward Hannah Rosenblatt of a goal. She also made a diving save on freshman Jenna Barnes and another on a cross by Caroline Kessler. It was a great performance and helped C-C keep its sixth clean sheet in seven games.

“Having a goalie like that gives you a lot of confidence in the back. She was incredible,” said Fischelis. He added, “She’s an incredible athlete. She has an unbelievable sense about where to be and when to go out and when not to. Some of those things you just can’t teach someone; it’s instinct.”

DeBruzzi deflected the praise on her teammates. She said, “I think we’ve exceeded everybody’s expectations and that comes from playing as a team and everybody working their hardest every game. It’s not me that’s having the shutouts; it’s the whole team.”

Lincoln-Sudbury dominated possession and created the lion’s share of the chances, although the best scoring opportunity of the first half fell to the Patriots. Senior captain Allie Barrett had a low shot just tipped wide of the post.

No. 8 Concord-Carlisle boys 1, Lincoln-Sudbury 1

Sophomore goalie Bobby Hurstak saved the game for the Warriors after the teams traded first half goals. Lincoln-Sudbury (3-0-3) held on to salvage a 1-1 draw with No. 8 Concord-Carlisle, who rued missed opportunities throughout the game.

“We had plenty of chances in the first half, plenty of chances in the second half, but their goalie was awesome. He was a huge equalizer tonight,” said Pavlik.

The visitors took the lead in the 25th minute on a short free kick on the edge of the box. Nathan Cohen caught the Patriots unaware by playing a pass on the ground to captain William Hutchinson, who coolly slotted it home.

The hosts kept up high tempo and pressure throughout the first half and hit the crossbar with a header before junior Mitchell Palmer rose highest to nod home a cross by Leo Fondreist with just more than a minute left in the first half.

Concord-Carlisle (6-1-1) would dominate the opening stages of the second half and Hurstak was forced into a brilliant diving save to rob Fondresit from inside the 6-yard box. The home fans were on their feet cheering again with 13 minutes left, but Garrett Leahy’s shot was inches over the bar.

“It was really won or lost in the midfield and I think we dodged some bullets with some of the chances they had,” said Hosford. “They’re a very good team.”

In other action:

Reading 1, Woburn 0 – Dave Sullivan scored the lone goal for the Rockets. Woburn also had a late penalty saved.

Lexington 3, Wakefield 1 – Lewis Mustoe, the son of NBC soccer broadcaster Robbie Mustoe, scored a brace and Caleb Stipple added the third for Lexington. Antonio Parrinello had the Wakefield goal.

Brookline 2, Newton North 0 – Ari Karchmer and Toma Beit-Arie scored the goals for Brookline in a battle of Bay State Conference teams.

Acton-Boxborough 1, Wayland 0 – The Colonials earned their first win at Kicks for Cancer on a goal from Julian Stewart.

There is a new No. 1 team in the state this week.

New Bedford controls the top spot in this week's edition of the ESPN Boston MIAA boys' soccer Top 20 poll.

Somerville had a minor stumble on the road against Lexington and had to settle for a draw. It may have only been a minor blip, but New Bedford and Ludlow have been perfect, so each moved up one place. The Whalers beat Top 20 team and South Coast rival Dartmouth last week and will have a tough week with a pair of Big 3 games, while the Lions are looking ahead to a Top 10 showdown with Amherst on Oct. 5.

The Highlanders only drop down to No. 3 after the draw and will take on No. 4 Masconomet in the top match-up of the week.

Groton-Dunstable lost a pair of games last week and dropped out of the Top 20, while Worcester North dropped from the Top 10 to No. 20 after a tough start. The other team to drop out of the poll was Acton-Boxborough, which was beaten 3-0 by No. 8 Concord-Carlisle over the weekend.

Westborough moved into the poll for the first time after it beat Wachusett and Groton-Dunstable to improve to 6-0. The Rangers take over at No. 18.

Bedford also moves into the poll at No. 19 behind All-New England midfielder Michael Dushman. The Bucs take on Concord-Carlisle on Wednesday, so they will have the opportunity to prove that they belong right away.

In This Week: No. 18 Westborough (6-0-0); No. 19 Bedford (5-1-0).

Out This Week: Groton-Dunstable (2-2-2); Acton-Boxborough (1-1-2).

BOSTON LATIN ACADEMY (2-0) at DORCHESTER (1-0), Friday 6 p.m.

Scott Barboza: The other day when we visited Dragons QB Kyle Dance for our Player of the Week interview, he was wearing a Cam Newton t-shirt. He does his best on-field impression again. Latin, 22-14.

Brendan Hall: Everything we’re taught in this business cautions against cliché, pun-filled headlines. But when you have a quarterback as elusive and fleet-footed as Kyle Dance, you can’t help yourself. Latin Academy, 22-12.

ACTON-BOXBOROUGH (1-0) at No. 7 NATICK (1-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Hate to upset loyal reader and former A-B gridder Mark Martin after picking against the Colonials last week in their win over Cambridge, but I just don’t think this is the week to change my tune. Natick, 34-24.

Hall: Just wait until Troy Flutie really gets untracked. Natick, 31-20.

BARNSTABLE (0-1) at BC HIGH (1-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Red Raiders are going to enter hungry and desperate not to fall to 0-2, but Eagles defense wins out. BC High, 20-17.

Hall: Barnstable is going to need to show a lot more aggression, and discipline, on both sides of the ball if it is going to stay afloat in the competitive D2 South standings. Eagles could use the points for this win, considering the tough road ahead. BC High, 20-10.

No. 15 ST. JOHN’S OF SHREWSBURY (0-1) at CATHOLIC MEMORIAL (1-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Kevin Bletzer is the type of player an offensive coordinator will have fits about, but ultimately too much to stop with the Pioneers. St. John’s, 32-28.

Hall: After some early struggles, the St. John’s passing game came alive in the second half, thanks to a flurry of screens and a couple of deep completions down the sidelines from returning All-Stater Andrew Smiley. There are some excellent individual talents at CM, but how good they are on the whole remains to be see. St. John’s, 28-14.

No. 6 SPRINGFIELD CENTRAL (0-1) at EAST LONGMEADOW (2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: This will be a one-possession game with Ju’an Williams being the difference for the Eagles. Central, 23-20.

Hall: Spartans proving they are an underrated bunch, after a solid win last weekend, but there is too much perimeter speed to harness here. Central, 25-14.

WEYMOUTH (0-1) at No. 11 BROCKTON (0-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: A game of turnovers, or at least whichever team is able to hold onto the football best. I’m sure it was a point of emphasis for both squads coming off their performances last week. Brockton, 30-21.

Hall: Wildcats licking their chops after Brockton gassed them for 432 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the Division 1 playoffs last year. Flat out, to be perfectly blunt, I just don’t see Brockton losing to a team from the Bay State Conference. I can’t recall the last time they did. Brockton, 27-13.

No. 12 WALPOLE (1-0) at NEEDHAM (0-1), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: As I wrote in our Roundtable earlier, I really think this classifies as a near must-win for Needham in the stacked Division 2 South sectional. Think the Rebels are too well-rounded though. Walpole, 36-28.

Hall: Wouldn’t be surprised to see an upset here, considering the Rebels’ relative inexperience. But they’ve had two weeks to prepare for this one. Walpole, 17-10.

No. 4 ST. JOHN’S PREP (1-1) at No. 13 CENTRAL CATHOLIC (2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: A defensive struggle in its truest sense. Prep, 17-14.

Hall: That was some vintage defense by the defensively-sound Raiders in last weekend’s shutout of Haverhill. I don’t see Central doing the same to Prep, but I’m curious to see what kind of gameplan Chuck Adamopoulos devises for Johnathan Thomas. The last two defensive coordinators failed. Expect the Raiders to muck it up here. Prep, 17-14.

No. 8 LEOMINSTER (1-0) at No. 9 LOWELL(2-0), Friday 7 p.m.

Barboza: Brian Dolan and the Red Raiders offense opposes their greatest competition – and, most likely – the best secondary they’ll see all season. They find a way to squeak by the Blue Devils. Lowell, 28-21.

Hall: I’ve been saying for a few weeks now that Leominster has the best safety tandem in the state, between Neil O’Connor and Jarell Addo. Lowell is about to find out on Friday night what kind of pass defense they’re up against. Going the other way, I’m intrigued to see how Jack Galvin squares up with Addo at tight end. Leominster, 35-31.

ST. SEBASTIAN’S at MILTON ACADEMY, Saturday 3 p.m.

Barboza: I like the Mustangs’ backfield depth with Luke McDonald and Drew Jacobs; they’re the difference. Milton Academy, 24-14.

Hall: Connor Strachan gets the job done. St. Seb’s, 19-15.

LAWRENCE ACADEMY at GOVERNOR’S ACADEMY, Saturday 1 p.m.

Barboza: Gov’s streak will end this year, just not this week. Governor’s, 17-14.

Hall: LA’s Chris Garrison might be the most impressive player on the field on either side of the ball, and the Spartans will surely get him involved in a variety of ways. Still, I think the sum of the Govs’ lacrosse-bred talent will win out here. Governor’s, 24-14.

GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 1 BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM (2-0) at No. 10 XAVERIAN (1-0), Saturday 1 p.m.

Barboza: The Trojans make it four in a row over the Hawks and break out of the early season curse of the ESPN Boston No. 1. B-R, 16-14.

Hall: First there was #CropTopOverTheTop, then came #FakeCropTopOverTheTop. Can we get some #CropTopOverThePylon action to complete the cycle here? B-R, 16-10.

Last Week’s Picks

Barboza: 10-2 (15-8 overall)

Hall: 7-5 (14-9 overall)

The seventh annual Kick for Cancer event will be held next weekend at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School.

Here's a look at the event, per today's press release from Patriots athletic director Barry Haley:

Some of greater Boston’s best high school soccer talent will gather to compete against each other and fight cancer at the 7th Annual Kicks for Cancer, to be held on Saturday, September 28th and hosted by Concord Carlisle High School.

In addition to boasting high school soccer action at its finest, the event includes food, raffles, souvenirs, and more, all to benefit cancer research. In what’s become a tradition, teams participating at Kicks for Cancer will wear special pink or blue jerseys with the names of loved ones that have suffered from the disease emblazoned on the back.

This year’s event has been expanded to include some of the area’s top girls’ teams. In one of the games, Lincoln-Sudbury’s boys varsity will face-off against Concord-Carlisle, with the two teams leading the Dual County League’s Large and Small groupings, respectively.

Games start at the adjacent turf fields at CCHS at 1 p.m., and will finish under the lights at roughly 8 p.m. Tickets to see all games are $5 for children and $10 for adults.

Kicks for Cancer has raised close to $100,000 since its inception – including over $25,000 last year despite poor weather conditions – with all proceeds going to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The event began in 2007, after Lois Wells, mother Concord Carlisle assistant coach Steve Wells, succumbed to cancer.

“Kicks for Cancer is a true grass roots event that began when the kids just wanted to do something for Coach Wells – but its grown into an important benefit. The soccer is always great, but obviously, it’s about so much more than that,” says Ray Pavlik, head coach of the CCHS boys team and the founder of the event.

Below is the schedule of Kicks for Cancer games on Saturday, September 28:

1:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Reading vs. Woburn
1:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Lexington vs. Wakefield

3:30 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Lincoln Sudbury Girls (#3) vs. Concord Carlisle Girls (#12)
3:30 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Brookline vs. Newton North

6:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 1, Lincoln-Sudbury Boys (#10) vs. Concord-Carlisle Boys (#12)
6:00 p.m., CCHS Turf Field 2, Acton-Boxborough (#13) vs. Wayland

Concod Carlisle High School is located at 500 Walden Street in Concord, MA.

For those who are unable to attend the event, but still wish to make a donation to Kicks for Cancer, may do one of the following:

Concord-Carlisle Kicks for Cancer web site, including directions to the fields: http://cchsmenssoccer.com/kfc.html
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kicks-for-Cancer-Concord-Carlisle/146077038820061?sk=info

Dana Farber donation page: www.dana-farber.kintera.org/kicksforcancer .

Franklin holds strong as the No. 1 side in our statewide ESPN Boston MIAA girls' soccer Top 20 poll, but there was movement to the back side after the first week of the season.

Oliver Ames slid into the rankings this week, while Acton-Boxborough made its introduction, after taking down a Top 20 opponent in No. 19 Peabody.

For this week's full poll, CLICK HERE.

In This Week: No. 16 Oliver Ames (1-0), No. 17 Acton-Boxborough (1-0)

Out This Week: No. 11 East Longmeadow (0-3), No. 19 North Andover (1-1)

Acton-Boxborough girls' soccer opened its season Saturday and earned a 1-0 win over No. 18 Peabody.

Not only did the Colonials earn a Top 20-quality win, they did it in style.

Check out the game-winning goal by Kaylee Sye during the second half in this clip submitted by parent Mike Ford. After a nice build-up, Alex Spangler plays a perfect ball into the box and Sye delivers with a perfectly directed header into the goal.

ACTON, Mass. – With a berth in the Division 1 semifinals on the line, No. 4 Acton-Boxborough hosted No. 5 Marshfield in a quarterfinal game that pitted two of the state’s most physical, up-tempo teams against each other.

The Colonials would utilize an aggressive, five goal third quarter to hold off a gritty Marshfield squad and come away with the 10-9 victory.

“That is our M.O.,” Acton-Boxborough head coach Pat Ammendolia said after the game. “We like to attack, attack, attack.”

Despite arriving in Acton slightly behind schedule, due to travel delays, Marshfield jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first 90 seconds of the game. Nolan Ryan and Mike Carbone banged home quick scores to give Marshfield the 2-0 advantage.

A-B (18-4) would settle in midway through the first quarter as their defense buckled down and their offense would score four first half goals as Joe Cormier, Chris Wiggins, Trevor Kononenko and J.T. Kelly added scores to even the game at 4-4 at the half.

“They are a tough, physical team,” Marshfield head coach Jake Jones said. “I thought we did a good job defensively of slowing them down early on.”

In an evenly played, back-and-forth game, the third quarter would prove to be the difference. Cormier did a great job at the faceoff X for A-B ad helped the Colonials control the majority of the possessions in the quarter.

A-B took advantage of the time of possession advantage, stayed aggressive, and went on a 5-2 run in the third, behind three goals in the quarter from A-B attack Thomas Cotter.

“We like to go, go, go and when we are clicking like we were in the third quarter we can score in bunches,” Ammendolia said.

Leading 9-6 heading into to the fourth quarter, Carbone would score the first goal out of the break to cut the A-B lead to 9-7.

A-B’s Hunter Arnold would then answer to extend the lead back to three goals at 10-7. The A-B defense, led by goalie Rick Kronenwett, would remain stout until the final minute of the game when Carbone would put a scare into the Colonial faithful.

Marshfield’s Shawn Daly, who played a great game all evening, would find the diminutive but tough Carbone for two late goals at the 34 and 13 second marks in the fourth to cut the lead to 10-9.

Cormier would secure the ensuing draw for A-B to preserve the one-goal victory.

“That put a scare into us late when they scored those two,” Ammendolia added. “We got the big faceoff at the end, got it behind the net and killed it. It was a good team effort today and we did the little things that were important.”

Marshfield concludes their season with an 18-5 record and showed tremendous heart and fight as they battled the entire game until the final horn sounded.

“I am just real proud to have coached these guys,” Jones said. “Having started with a lot of these guys last year, in my first year as their coach, I have seen the growth of many of them and I am just real proud.”

Marshfield goalie Pat Burchill also played well in net making 15 saves in the game.

An All-DCL Large State Semifinal: A-B advances to the D1 state semifinals for the first time in program history. They will take on a familiar foe in DCL Large rival Lincoln-Sudbury on Saturday. L-S defeated Billerica, 14-1, in quarter-final action in Sudbury on Wednesday.

L-S (17-2) defeated A-B both times they met in regular season play.

“We have a lot of respect for that team and their coach,” Ammendolia said. “We look forward to playing them. L-S is just a real good team and we are just going to go out there and give it our best.”

SUDBURY, Mass. - Something wasn't right with Jordan Dow.

During the past few weeks, the Lincoln-Sudbury senior attackman was having trouble getting into a rhythm with his teammates. His coach, Brian Vona, said the two-sport athlete couldn't even score goals in practice. Before the Warriors' game against Billerica in the Division 1 East lacrosse quarterfinals, Dow decided to shake things up and go through a pregame routine he uses during hockey season.

It worked.

Dow scored three goals and had seven assists against the Indians, as Lincoln-Sudbury cruised to a 14-1 win. With the victory, the Warriors advanced to the Division 1 East semifinals, which will be played on Saturday against Dual County League rival Acton-Boxborough.

“I prepared a little differently today. I went back to some of my hockey preparations, some of the routines that I did there. Things just clicked for me today. It's one of those things that you can't really put a finger on,” Dow said. “I just got out of it today, and hopefully it can continue from here.”

The Warriors put on a steady attack against an overmatched Billerica team, which spent most of the game in its own end. After testing the Indians' zone defense in the first half, Lincoln-Sudbury exploded in the third quarter with five goals – two of which came while a man up.

Dow netted all three of his goals in the third quarter. Chris Giorgio and Dan Delaney also scored during the period to put the score at 11-1.

The Indians, who began to sense a tide change, started getting extra aggressive with the Warriors and picked up a few penalties on some extracurricular pushing. John Merwin, a junior midfielder for Lincoln-Sudbury, said he could feel the momentum start to turn.

“When we really play together, we begin to notice that other teams start to fade away and turn on each other,” said Merwin, who had three goals in the game. “Once that started to happen, once it got a little chippy, we decided to stay together and play our game, and our offense moved the ball better than we've seen in awhile, and that's what we need going into this type of tournament.”

Lincoln-Sudbury put up another three goals in the fourth quarter, including a quick finish by Jake Klein, a junior attackman who game off the bench. It was Klein's first goal of the season.

Vona, whose Warriors squeaked by Billerica, 10-7, on May 6, knew his team needed to figure out a way to break through the Indians' zone defense, which tends to slow down the pace of the game.

“We practiced for the zone, and the kids moved the ball around well today. Ironically, we didn't do it so well in practice the last couple of days, but that's the way coaching goes,” he said. “We practiced for a couple of different looks, they gave us those looks … and they gave us the opportunities.”

Billerica goalie and UMass commit D.J. Smith slowed the Warrior attack through the first few minutes of the first quarter and made two point-blank saves on torso-level shots. Lincoln-Sudbury broke through with 7:14 left in the quarter when senior attackman Matt Hall went top shelf off an assist from Dow. The Warriors picked up another goal three minutes later when Greg Roder sidearmed a rocket to the top-right corner to put the score at 2-0.

Lincoln-Sudbury scored two more goals with less than two minutes left in the quarter – one on a quick-stick goal from Merwin and another from Hall, who hammered home a pass from Dow with 13 seconds left. The Warriors picked up where they left off in the second quarter when Hall scored an awkward goal on a pass that bounced off Smith's stick and rolled between the pipes. Merwin put the Warriors up 6-0 with 5:39 left in the half.

“They have some great athletes, they have a great team, and they're a force to be reckoned with,” said Billerica head coach Craig Flynn. “They can all move the ball really well. They don't have one-handed players – those guys play righty and lefty. … We put ourselves in a hole right away. It was one of those days where nothing bounced right.”

Billerica's only goal in the game came on an unassisted strike from senior caption Sean Farmer with 1:17 left in the first half.

The Indians, who entered the tournament as a No. 8 seed, will graduate 19 seniors.

“Our seniors have had a great four years and have a lot to be proud of,” Flynn said. “They were [Merrimack Valley Conference] champions four years straight. [Smith] was an All-American, he's had a great career here, and now he's going to UMass-Amherst. Those guys have a lot to be proud of.”

WAYLAND, Mass. – Tuesday’s match-up between the high scoring offense of No. 5 Beverly and the lock-down defense of No. 4 Wayland figured to be a battle of lacrosse attrition.

Beverly entered the Eastern Mass. Division 2 quarterfinal having outscored their first two post-season opponents 33-10 and having won eight of their last nine games.

Wayland entered the contest having won 16 straight games, dating back to April 11, when they lost an 11-6 contest to Acton-Boxborough.

Beverly midfielder Brendan Flaherty would come out on fire as he scored three of his game-high four goals in the opening quarter as Beverly led 4-1 early and never looked back. Beverly would lead by as many as seven goals in the first half as they defeated Wayland, 9-4, to advance to the Eastern Mass. D2 semifinals.

“We talk about the first five minutes of each quarter and I think we won those first five minutes,” Beverly head coach John Pynchon said after the game.

Flaherty scored his first goal less than two minutes into the game but was quickly answered by Wayland middie Roby Williams to tie the game, 1-1.

Beverly (19-4) would then take control of the first half as they controlled the possession and converted a key man-down goal by Flaherty to give the visitors the momentum in the middle of the game.

“They are a real good possession team, real athletic,” Wayland head coach Joel Bates said. “I don’t now if it was a little bit of nerves but we definitely tossed the ball away too many times to recover from.”

Beverly would go on a 7-0 run in the first and second quarters to extend the lead to 8-1, before Williams added one for Wayland (19-4) with under one minute to play in the first half, cutting the lead to 8-2 at the break.

Wayland came out of the half with renewed energy as they struck for two early goals as attack Jimmy Lampert and midfielder Carson Hart scored to cut the Beverly lead to four.

Beverly attackman and leading scorer Nick Albano would answer Hart’s goal less than one minute later to quell the run and take a 9-4 lead to the final quarter of play.

Beverly would hold on in a scoreless fourth quarter as the experienced Beverly defense, led by junior goalie Kevin Lally, held strong to secure the victory.

“Our defense was just great today,” Pynchon said. “Kevin [Lally] came up huge.”

Wayland returns a slew of talented underclassmen next season, led by Williams and defensive captain Jake Baxter.

“They [Wayland] are young and so they are so good,” Pynchon added. “We talked about that and said let’s use our experience. That is where the experience comes in, during the first five minutes of the game.”

Wayland does graduate Hart, who will graduate as one of the top midfielder’s in program history. The Navy-bound senior also did a great job on faceoffs for the Warriors, along with adding a third quarter goal in tonight’s finale.

“Carson Hart is going to be tough to lose.” Bates said. “He works hard with all of our seniors. The seniors are a real good group with Brian Murtagh, probably our biggest leader, and just a real charismatic guy.”

Beverly will travel to Hingham on Friday to take on the No. 1 seed Harbormen. Hingham (20-3) defeated Winchester 13-7 in the quarterfinals and has now won 12 games in a row. In Hingham’s’ three losses this season, they lost by a total of just three combined goals.

Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.

SHREWSBURY, Mass. -- While the Central Mass sectional lacrosse tournament is about a week away, St. John’s (Shrewsbury) head coach Terry Leary thinks his team already has a playoff mentality.

“Our game Saturday against Algonquin [a 7-6 overtime win] and our game against Grafton, we looked at them both as playoff games,” Leary said. “We felt like we needed these two.”

The Pioneers continued the trend on Monday with an 11-8 win over Grafton, ensuring them the top seed in the upcoming tournament.

St. John’s (13-3) used a five-goal run in the late third and early fourth quarters to distance themselves from the Indians (15-3). The depth and balance of the St. John’s attack was on full display on a muggy day in Shrewsbury.

While Grafton leaned heavily on All-American Tyler Reilly, the Pioneers had seven different goal scorers, including three different multi-goal scorers. St. John’s also made it a point to play Grafton midfielder Bryan Rotatori very aggressively, double-teaming the Indians’ other All-American nearly every time he crossed midfield, holding him to only a late goal when the game was out of reach.

“We know a lot of what they do runs through [Rotatori],” Leary said. “We know he likes to look for Tyler [Reilly] cutting, and we know he likes those diagonal passes, so we tried to take those away from him and make him work it around to the other middies.”

On the other side of the field, the Indians attempted to do the same to St. John’s attackman Drew Smiley. While the dodging junior was kept away from the cage the majority of the game, Grafton’s focus on him opened things up for senior attack Hunter Burdick’s hat trick and a pair of goals from Josh Freilich.

Kevin Butler notched his second multi-goal game in his last three games, and fellow middies Connor Long and Patrick Ryan each scored as well. It was a welcome sight for the Pioneers, who have gone from an attack-heavy offense to an increasingly balanced one in the last two weeks.

On defense, senior Aidan Fox stifled Reilly and Rotatori on ground balls all day, and took away numerous breaks launched by Indian goalie Eric Fisher. When the Indians did get good looks, they were often turned away by goalie A.J. Arnold, who robbed five clean Grafton looks.

“He made some great saves,” Leary said of Arnold. “I thought both goalies played pretty well, and A.J. Arnold got us into the late third and we went on that little run.”

Grafton will look to regain a bit of lost momentum against Mid Mass rival Nipmuc — a team the Indians have already beaten 11-0.

As for St. John’s, their gauntlet of tournament caliber games is not over quite yet. The Pioneers will welcome No. 5 Acton-Boxborough to campus this Wednesday before ending their regular season Thursday at home against West Springfield.

Both teams will know their tournament fates before week’s end with the playoff bracket set to be released Friday.

For the first time in the three years of our ESPN Boston MIAA boys' lacrosse Top 25 poll, a team other than Duxbury takes the No. 1 spot for the first time.

After interrupting the Dragons' 48-game winning streak against MIAA competition, Needham boosted to the poll position for the first time. It was Duxbury's first loss against an in-state opponent since the 2010 Division 1 championship game against St. John's Prep.

You can view the complete poll HERE.

CHANGE AT THE TOP
The last week was a perilous time for many of our Top 5 teams from last week. After watching its undefeated campaign unfurl against Duxbury, Lincoln-Sudbury finds itself saddled with a two-game losing streak, the result of another overtime loss to Concord-Carlisle.

Another Top 10 team also wasn't able to avoid the upset bug as Westford Academy, previously No. 8, slipped outside to No. 15 following three straight losses to Acton-Boxborough, St. John's Prep and Xaverian.

LANCERS TAKING OFF
After making their return to the Top 25 poll for the first time since the 2011 season a few weeks ago, Longmeadow has taken off in the poll. The Lancers make their highest-ever showing in the poll, checking in at No. 6 following a 16-1 dismantling of perennial Division 2 favorite Medfield.

Longmeadow will also be featured in perhaps the game week, traveling to No. 7 St. John's (Shrewsbury) in what could prove to be a preview of the Central/Western Mass. final.

BREAKING AND ENTERING
Three new teams populate the poll this week, with Grafton returning to the poll at No. 23.

Wayland, which produced an upset of its own knocking off Concord-Carlisle, make their first Top 25 showing since the 2011 season at No. 20. Westfield makes its first-ever poll appearance at No. 25 after the Bombers dispatched previously ranked South Hadley.

SUDBURY, Mass. - For a moment in the early minutes of the second quarter, Lincoln-Sudbury lacrosse fans would have been excused if they suddenly experienced flashbacks to the team's previous meeting against Acton-Boxborough.

On April 4, the Colonials came storming back after L-S had opened up a six-goal advantage, actually taking the lead late before the Warriors rallied to come back for a 12-11 victory.

Saturday, L-S came flying out of the gates once again and built a 6-0 lead with 3:03 left in the first quarter. Thomas Cotter scored twice in a row, followed by a dodge-and-rip by Scott Rogers that cut the deficit to 6-3 with 5:36 left in the second.

This time around, however, there would be no comeback as the second-ranked Warriors reeled off seven of the next eight and went on to finish with a 19-8 victory over No. 5 A-B at Myers field.

"No one was worried," said L-S midfielder Greg Roder, one of three players to score four goals in the game. "We knew what happened last time and how it was a close game and we knew we were going to take it right back from them."

Take it right back L-S (9-0) did, as Henry Guild (four goals, three assists), Jordan Dow (two goals, three assists) and Roder all scored to close out the first half with a 9-3 lead.

Guild and A-B's (10-2) Hunter Arnold traded goals to open the third, then L-S stuck three in a row - two from Roder around one from Dan Delaney (four goals, two assists) - to push the advantage to 13-4.

Cotter completed his hat trick to temporarily stop the bleeding, but the Warriors responded with scores from Dow, Guild and Delaney to push the lead back into double digits (16-5), before both coaches mutually agreed to start emptying the benches.

"I think they are a very good team," L-S coach Brian Vona said of Acton-Boxborough. "I think they are a well coached team but I think our kids were just ready, they were ready for tonight. They’ve been practicing hard. I know its age old stuff, but they’ve been practicing hard, they’re working hard, and they’re playing together."

CONCORD, Mass. -- Acton-Boxborough lacrosse trailed by four goals with less than six minutes to play in Thursday’s Dual County League rivalry game against Concord-Carlisle.

The Colonials attack was snuffed out for the great parts of three quarters before breaking off a string of three goals within a minute and nine second to get themselves within a goal. A-B parlayed the momentum into the game-tying goal, scored by T.J. Kelly with 2:34 remaining in regulation. After playing through one overtime period, Scott Rogers (2G, 1 A) made it a happy bus ride home, scoring the game-winner at the 3:14 mark of overtime No. 2.

As for the sudden change in the Colonials’ attack? A-B head coach Pat Ammendolia swears he had nothing to do with it.

“This is word for word,” Ammendolia said, emphatically gesturing with his hands. “I told them that I’m not good enough a coach to get them out of it [the deficit]. Fact, that’s verbatim.”

There was no magic wand that cured all of the Colonials’ ill from the first half. Instead, A-B (9-1) began doing the little things. The decided ground ball advantage the Patriots (5-5) enjoyed in the first half diminished in the fourth. Colonials face-off extraordinaire Joe Cormier won draws – directly or indirectly – setting up their string of three-straight goals from 5:16 to 4:07.

And then, there was the matter of patience on the attack.

“All season, we’ve been averaging pretty high in terms of scoring,” Rogers said. “We were shut down pretty much the whole game and we kept forcing plays, trying to do everything ourselves. We just needed to play as a team and move the ball around, dodge, throw it back, re-dodge.”

MASTER OF THE X
Cormier had as big a hand as any in the Colonials’ comeback with a key stretch of five straight face-off wins in the fourth quarter. It’s a performance that Ammendolia has come to expect.

“He’s excellent,” he said of Cormier. “He was great for us again today. He’s guy that we can count on and usually that’s at 75-, 80-percent [won faceoffs] each game. He’s meticulous and he’s really technical.

“But he’s a hell of a complete player, not just a face-off guy.”

PLAYING TO PACE
C-C did its best to control the pace of the game throughout the first half. Although the Colonials attack didn’t do themselves any favors at times, the Patriots pressed the issue and won nearly every ground ball that was to be had behind long-stick midfielder Nick Brozowski, who scooped up five ground balls in the first half alone.

Cognizant of C-C’s willingness to grind down a high-flying A-B attack, which had scored 102 goals in nine games entering Thursday’s action, the Colonials sought to respond with a bit of the same.

“They like to hold the ball on offense,” Rogers said of C-C. “So we wanted to counter and get it the offensive zone and hold it. Again, we really weren’t doing that. We were forcing plays, taking shots that weren’t there.”

WESTFORD, Mass. -- With so many league matchups taking place early in the season, Acton-Boxborough knew it had to make a statement against Westford Academy to avoid losing pace in the Dual County League Large race.

The Colonials did exactly that, dominating in all phases of the game en route to an 18-13 victory over the No. 4 Grey Ghosts at Westford Academy.

Ten different players found the back of the cage for A-B (4-1 overall, 1-1 DCL), topped by Scott Rogers (four goals, two assists) and J.T. Kelly (four goals, one helper). Trevor Konenenko added a hat trick while Hunter Arnold and Brian Picca each contributed a goal and two assists.

On defense, poles Ian Maxwell, Gabe Cormier, Austin Wolf and James Gnall, along with LSM Kevin Brogie, were outstanding in front of goalie Rick Kronenwett.

"We're very athletic," said A-B head coach Pat Ammendolia. "Last year I think we had some great lacrosse players. This year, we have some good lacrosse players but I think we've got great athletes on this team. We can run and that's definitely a strength of ours, team speed. That's what we like to do, get out there and try to run by people."

In order to do that, the Colonials needed to have possessions and the trio of Joe Cormier, Gabe Cormier and Josh Bucens took care of that. Joe Cormier was particularly dominant as the main draw-taker and A-B won all eight faces in the opening quarter and the offense staked the team to a 6-1 lead.

The Colonials would extend that lead to as many as nine goals in the second as Joe Cormier, Arnold, Konenenko, Bryan Sweeney, Rogers, and Kelly all scored during a 6-1 spurt. Loyola-bound attackman Jay Drapeau (four goals, assist) had the first tally of the frame for Westford (4-1, 1-1) and added two more before the half to make it a 12-5 game.

"We isolated their shorties up top, we ran our system and dodged up top," Rogers said of the offensive explosion. "Their slides were a little late and we just put it to them, put the ball in the back of the net. When we ran down the alleys, their slide would come from the crease. J.T. [Kelly] did a good job of popping up to the high crease and getting a couple looks. I got both my assists to him."

Acton-Boxborough pushed the lead back up to nine in the third (15-6) as Rogers, Max Emond and Kelly all connected before Josh Sawyer (four goals, assist) slowed the run. The Colonials slowed the pace in the fourth, trading goals to start the frame with Joey Biggins getting the final score for an 18-9 lead with 5:05 left. The Grey Ghosts popped in four in a row to close it out.

"I think I underestimated their athleticism a little bit," admitted Westford coach Matt Tholander. "I knew they had good, individual, on-ball defenders but I didn't realize that the faceoff circle was going to be a huge problem for us. Faceoffs and ground balls were the big differences in the game."

"Our unsettled defense has been better this year and we obviously got caught up a little bit there with our matchups," he continued. "We knew defensively, we weren't ready at the beginning of the year and we're a long way from where we need to be but like I said to the kids, I've been on this side of it multiple times with A-B where they bum-rush us and next time around, it always seems to work out that you always get another shot at them."

FIRST LINE
F - Alison Butler, Sr., St. Mary's
This year's ESPN Boston Miss Hockey award winner, Butler captained the Spartans to their fourth Division 1 state title, scoring the game-winning goal against Arlington Catholic at the Garden. The St. Anselm's commit was third in Division 1 in scoring with 37-25-62 totals. It is her second ESPN Boston All-State nomination.
F - Hannah Murphy, Sr., Duxbury
The fulcrum to Duxbury''s run of three straight Division 2 state championships. Murphy, a three-sport athlete, finished fifth among all Division 2 scorers, putting up 29-24-53 totals. Murphy will play lacrosse at UMass-Amherst.
F - Kayla Smith, Sr., Woburn
One of the most talented pure scorers in the state, Smith finished second in Division 1 across the state in scoring with 34 goals and 24 assists for 63 points. The three-time ESPN Boston All-Stater will continue her hockey career at Salve Regina.
D - Cassandra Connolly, Sr., Woburn
The repeat ESPN Boston All-Stater finished fourth on the Tanners in points (2-15-17) while helping goaltender Courtney Davis notch seven shutouts on the season. Connolly will continue her playing career at the University of New England next year.
D - Hannah Wright, Sr., Arlington
A shut-down, physical blue-liner, Wright also finished tied for fourth on the Spy Ponders with 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists). She will attend Castleton State College next year where she will play hockey.
G - Shannon O'Neil, Sr., Austin Prep
Pitched a remarkable 10 shutouts on the season, along with a dazzling 96.8 save percentage. O'Neil, a Franklin Pierce commit, was also among the statewide leaders in goals against average with a 1.08 marka.
SECOND LINE
F - Kaleigh Finigan, Sr., St. Mary's
Despite missing time with an injury, Finigan still managed to finish second on the Spartans in scoring - following Alison Butler— with 17-28-45 totals. The Medford resident is also a standout on St. Mary's softball team.
F - Jane Freda, Sr., Hingham
A two-time ESPN Boston All-State selection, the Harborwomen captain finished among the Top 10 scorers in the state, tallying 31 goals to go along with 16 assists.
F - Ashley Moran, Jr., Woburn
The rangy winger made great strides this season, finishing among the Top 10 scorers in the state, posting 25 goals and 31 assists.
D - Brooke Matherson, Jr., Walpole
The blue-liner led the Rebels in scoring this year with 33 points points and her 24 goals were also a team-best. Matherson is also a standout player on Walpole's field hockey team.

D - Annie Messuri, Jr., Acton-Boxborough
Messuri was named the DCL/MVC Large division Most Valuable Player this year after posting 13-17-30 totals.
G - Courtney Davis, Jr., Woburn
Led the Tanners to an undefeated regular season while registering seven shutouts. The three-year starter registered a 92.1 save percentage while posting a 1.35 goals against average.

BEST OF THE REST - HONORABLE MENTION
Forwards
Carolyn Avery, Sr., Lexington
Megan Barrett, Frosh., Acton-Boxborough
Christie Caliendo, Sr., Billerica
Leah Cardarelli, Soph., Acton-Boxborough
Molly Connolly, Sr., Wellesley
Amanda Conway, Soph., Tewksbury/Methuen
Gabby Crugnale, Sr., St. Mary's
Jackie Denning, Sr., Lexington
Cecily Docktor, Soph., Wellesley
Kara Donati, Sr., Winthrop/Lynn
Erin Dwyer, Sr., Archbishop Williams
Marissa Fichter, Soph., Duxbury
Ela Hazar, Jr., Westwood
Shannon Hickey, Sr., Arlington
Emily Kelly, Jr., Norwood
Olivia Konaxis, Sr., Beverly/Danvers
Brittani Lanzilli, Jr., Medford
Maggie Layo, Jr., Sandwich
Sara Lehman, Sr., Lexington
Emily Lissner, Jr., Woburn
Kim Lizotte, Sr., Westford Academy
Emily Loprete, Soph., Watertown/Melrose
Meaghan McKenna, Sr., Canton
Rachel Moore, Soph., Falmouth
Ali O'Leary, Frosh., Reading
Adrieana Rossini, Soph., Arlington Catholic
Nicole Woods, Jr., Beverly/Danvers

Defense
Allison Cunningham, Soph., Arlington Catholic
Tatiana Doucette, Jr., St. Mary's
Erin Ferrara, Sr., Fontbonne Academy
Hannah Ghelfi, Soph., Falmouth
Alexandria Gong, Sr., Hingham
Ally Hammel, Jr., Duxbury
Melissa Richard, Sr., Arlington Catholic
Caroline Seibold, Frosh., Reading

Goalies
Megan Messuri, Jr., Arlington Catholic
Rachel Myette, Jr., Duxbury
Madison Scavotto, So., Falmouth
Lauren Skinnion, Jr., St. Mary's

Coach of the Year
Frank Pagliuca, St. Mary's (Lynn)
While piloting to the Spartans to four Division 1 state championships, perhaps Pagliuca's finest job behind the bench came this year, as St. Mary's knocked off Catholic Central rival Arlington Catholic in a rematch of the 2012 title game.

Finalists:
Todd Fletcher, Westford Academy
Michael Golden, Reading
Friend Weiler, Duxbury