Big second half lifts Nashua South girls lacrosse past Nashua North

NASHUA - The Nashua High School South girls lacrosse team did all the it could.

Now, the Panthers will have to sit back and wait.

South went on a 7-0 run to end Wednesday's game against Nashua North, getting a 10-5 win over the Titans in the final game of the regular season for the Panthers.

That win puts South at 8-8 in Division I on the year, and depending on results from other games Thursday and Friday, it might be good enough to get the Panthers into the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

"We've been preaching team and unity all season," South coach Ciki McIntire said. "When they play together as a team, instead of individuals, they are awesome. We've had moments of greatness. It came together in the second half."

Down 5-3 early in the second half, the Panthers started to turn things around with just under 20 minutes left in the game. Ashley Eppolito scored with 19:45 remaining to get South within one goal, and Sarah Signorello and Eppolito scored 36 seconds apart to give the Panthers a 6-5 lead with 14:02 left.

Eppolito finished with three goals while Kirsten McIntire had two goals and an assist. Hannah Dumaine had a goal and an assist and Signorello, Allison Magraine, Liz Harrington and Bailey Morin also scored. Emily Colburn added an assist and Abbey Rowe made 16 saves.

"Once we get the groove, that's it," Eppolito said. "We all work together, there's no one player out there getting all the goals."

The Panthers weren't getting many in the first half, as North goalie Zoe Fillebrown came up big early on, making six of her 11 saves in the opening frame. The Titans (4-11) got three goals from Danielle Upton, as they got out to a 2-0 lead before South came back to tie it.

But just 34 seconds after the Panthers made it 2-2, Upton controlled the draw and raced down the field to give North the lead again, and the Titans to a 4-3 advantage into the break.

"We were frustrated because we were taking poor shots," Eppolito said. "It took us in the locker room to calm down, take a deep breath and go out like its 0-0, start over."

North was able to carry momentum into the second half, as Upton scored 1:26 in to make it 5-3, and the Panthers struggled to connect on passes. At one point, Rowe ran the ball out to midfield after making a save to try to preserve the possession for South.

"Abby was unbelievable in goal coming out and breaking up passes," Ciki McIntire said. "She was like this is ridiculous, I'm going to take matters into my own hands. We were not playing our team lacrosse in the first half. We were trying to force things and just go to fast. We needed to settle and wait for things to happen."

Things did start happening for the Panthers not long after that, and now South could be heading somewhere it hasn't been for a long time.

"Simply making playoffs is huge," Eppolito said when asked what it would mean to get in. "Just to be a part of this team and to say that we were part of the team that got South into the playoffs in don't even know how many years. That would be incredible. That in itself is a victory to me."