Londonderry girls lacrosse moves on in D1 playoffs with win against Dover (video)

LONDONDERRY - There wasn't any one player that Kelsey Derhak could point to as carrying the Londonderry High School girls lacrosse team in Tuesday's Division I playoff game.

For four quarters, the Lancers got a balanced attack on offense and a consistent effort on defense.

It added up for No. 8 Londonderry in a 12-7 win over No. 9 Dover in a preliminary round game, just the second playoff win for the Lancers since 2013 and a big step forward after they missed the postseason a year ago.

"It’s huge for the program," Derhak said. "I think it’s amazing for them to have this experience and want to have it more. To see their hard work all year round paid off.

"I thought they did amazing, especially playing a game for four full quarters. They pushed through and played what was in front of them. They played a good, full 48 minutes of lacrosse."

Ashleigh Leone scored three of her four goals in the first quarter, giving Londonderry (8-10) an early lead it never relinquished. With Dover (6-12) holding Leone to one score the rest of the way, other players stepped up for the Lancers on offense.

Kiara Edmunds and Eres Delorey had three goals apiece, with the pair combining for three goals in the fourth quarter to help keep the Green Wave at bay. Lilah Melia added a goal and an assist and Cora Rogers also scored for the Lancers.

Jayden Sherwood finished with 13 saves, including several timely ones in the second half that helped keep Dover from getting closer.

"Defensively, I thought we had a great game," Derhak said. "They have been working all season on their communication and they had each other’s backs. They had the slides they needed to have and Jayden did a great job coming up with the saves that she needed to come up with.

"She has been playing lights out for us all season. She did an amazing job keeping her eye on the ball and really attacking it, and hanging in there for us."

Freshman Khloe Healey led the Green Wave with four goals and an assist while Payton Denning scored twice. Megan Healey added a goal and an assist and Kiley Campbell also scored, but Dover was never able to get its offense fully going.

"I think we did not connect on the attack," Dover coach Dana Gray said. "We were taking shots right at the goalie, so that was unfortunate. We saw the goal, we had options, we were getting there, but we weren’t placing our shots right."

Maggie Berry finished with seven saves for the Green Wave.

Leone and Delorey gave Londonderry a 2-0 lead less than six minutes into the game, but Dover controlled the draw and had two great scoring chances. But shots by Denning and Rylen Gray hit the post.

Denning was finally able to get the Green Wave on the board with 2:45 left in the quarter, but Leone answered on a free position less than a minute later. A buzzer-beating goal by Megan Healey made it 4-2 Londonderry at the end of one.

The Lancers looked like they might pull away late in the half, going up 6-3 with 2:23 left in the half, but a yellow card on Madison Grennon for an accidental check to the head gave the Green Wave an opening.

Denning and Khloe Healey both scoring during the advantage to cut the lead to one with 38 seconds left in the half. But on the next draw, Delorey scooped up a ground ball near the restraining line and outran the Dover defense to the cage.

The sophomore scored with 26 seconds left in the half to give Londonderry a 7-5 lead at the break. The Green Wave were able to make it a one-goal game again to start the third quarter, but scored just once the rest of the second half as the Lancers pulled away.

"It was definitely keeping our composure under pressure and taking care of the things we could take care of, focusing on our effort," Derhak said of Londonderry's focus. "They have played with a ton of heart and I couldn’t be prouder."

The Lancers move on to the quarterfinals where they will face No. 1 Portsmouth at 5 p.m. Thursday.