Merrimack girls lacrosse clinches playoff spot with win over Londonderry

MERRIMACK – The Merrimack High School girls lacrosse team controlled its own destiny on Friday night.

It was quite simple. A win over visiting Londonderry would secure a trip to the Division I tournament, while a loss would leave Merrimack on the outside.

The Tomahawks were up to the challenge on senior night, as seniors Amber Brewster and Autumn Howe combined for eight goals and two assists during a 14-7 triumph over the Lancers.

“We needed this win to get to playoffs so it was huge,” said Tomahawks coach Sarah Rothhaus. “The kids came out hot and were ready to go. This was the best game that I have seen us play this year so it was really exciting. Every single one of our seniors knew what was on the line.”

Brewster (five goals, assist) and Howe (three goals, assist) ensured that the Tomahawks (9-7) finished with a winning regular-season record. Junior Ellie Boucher (two goals, two assists) and freshman Paige Rivet (goal, two assists) were key factors in the win.

From a defensive perspective, senior goalie Bella Beaton starred, turning aside 18 shots.

“Bella came up huge,” said Rothhaus. “She made huge saves when we needed her the most. It kept our momentum going. She made saves right at the beginning with seven in the first 10 minutes. It all started with her.”

Junior Grace Chicko (two goals, assist) led the charge for the Lancers (9-9), while senior Hannah McCutcheon found the back of the net twice. Londonderry will be the eighth seed in the playoffs.

Brewster put the hosts up 1-0 56 seconds into the game, looping into the right slot and placing a shot into the left side of the cage. Senior defender Erin Ortega showcased her versatility, posting a caused turnover and ground ball in the middle of the defensive zone, and then quickly racing down the field and tallying a goal with 17:19 left, giving the Tomahawks a 3-0 lead.

A man-up goal by Howe, assisted by Rivet, put Merrimack in front, 4-0, with 15:51 on the board in the first half. The Tomahawks kept the Lancers off the scoreboard for the first 11:33 of the game.

“We had the fans here and families for senior night,” said Rothhaus. “That added energy was huge, and we knew we needed the crowd and that support. That helped a lot and even the girls on our sideline were awesome.”

Londonderry did make a little bit of noise, scoring four of the next seven goals, as a wrap-around goal 40 seconds into the second half by Chicko pulled the visitors to within 7-4.

Merrimack responded by scoring the next six goals in a span of 5:30. With 19:26 left, Brewster bounced in a free-position shot, putting the Tomahawks up by eight. The run ended on a goal from right in front of the net by junior midfielder Megan Dinsmore off a feed by Boucher with 18:37 showing, giving Merrimack a 13-4 cushion.

“I have a lot of different players that I can count on to get the ball in the back of the net or to get the ball out of the defensive end,” said Rothhaus of her team’s depth. “They come up huge in big games and that is how we pull out wins.”

Londonderry reeled off three straight goals, trimming the deficit down to 13-7 with 9:38 on the clock, as McCutcheon bounced in a free-position attempt. A goal by Brewster put the Tomahawks up 14-7 with 1:32 remaining.

The quarterfinal round of the eight-team Division I Tournament will open on Wednesday at 5 p.m., as both the Tomahawks and Lancers will hit the road with the top-four seeds hosting.

“We are going to keep working,” said Rothhaus. “We will come back out and see who we are going to play. I think we have a great chance. We are a really good team. It took a lot of the season for all of us to get healthy, but when we are healthy we are really strong.”