Nashua South girls lacrosse starts fast, holds on late to beat Windham (video)

NASHUA - If Ciki McInitire had any question about how the Nashua High School South girls lacrosse team was going to respond to a tough loss, she got it Tuesday in the opening 15 minutes of the Panthers' game against Windham.

South scored 10 goals in the game's first stretch and ended up needing every single one of them.

The Panthers led 10-2 with a little under 10 minutes remaining in the first half, but scored just two the rest of the way, and held off the Jaguars late to collect a 12-10 win at Stellos Stadium.

The win came a little more than 24 hours after South (6-2 in Division I, No. 4 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) had lost to Bishop Guertin by nine goals, the Panthers' largest margin of defeat this season.

"I had a pit in my stomach all day (Tuesday) that we’re not going to show up to play," McIntire said. "I was trying to get that out of my head. Then they showed up and we’re up 10-2, I was like ‘ok, I was wrong.’ Going back-to-back is tough, especially with limited subs. To expect those kids to play back-to-back, a hundred minutes of lacrosse, is a lot."

Ella Benzekri led South with four goals and two assists and Karina O'Donnell added two goals and two assists. Maren Lowell also scored twice while Morgan Udzanovich had a goal and two assists and Maddy Matylewski had a goal and a helper.

Despite the offense explosion to start the game, it was the Panthers' defense that saved the day.

Benzekri and Lowell scored less than a minute apart in the second half, but outside of that, South went almost 34 minutes without a goal.

Keira Walsh came up with nine saves for the Panthers, including a handful in the second half that were from close range. South's defense, led by Brynn Tefft, Nevaeh Eppolitto and Maizie Barker, were able to influence Windham's shots on several possessions as well.

"Windham is good, lot of good players," McInitire said. "I knew if we weren’t playing well, we were going to be in trouble. Keira made some really big saves for us, so she saved us a couple of times. Brynn (Tefft) did a really good job. She came up big with some good defensive stops. But then we can’t come up with the groundball."

Windham (8-1 in D2, No. 9), which had a 21-11 win over Timberlane on Monday, got four goals and two assists from Chloe Hall and three goals and an assist from Maria Killian. After South went up eight goals with 9:34 left in the first half, the pair helped the Jaguars close the half with a 4-0 run to make it a 10-6 game at halftime.

Sophia Ponzini and Emma Kendzulak had a goal and an assist each and Ella Gallinelli also scored while Annie Mitchell had 11 saves.

"We didn’t come out strong, but I was so proud the way they finished that game," Windham coach Jordyn OBoyle said. "They held (South) to two the entire second half. That’s amazing, especially against a team like this, they’re a very skilled team. I was very proud of them."

While the defense over the course of the second half improved, Windham's biggest adjustment came on the draw.

"I have to give it (Benzekri), she could place it where she wanted it and did a phenomenal job with that," O'Boyle said. "It was just adjusting to that and being aggressive, trying to figure out how we can beat her with her placement of the draw."

South was able to control possession to open the second half, but couldn't find an opening, and Mitchell made a save and a successful clear to get the Jaguars going the other way. Hall then scored two goals 1:06 apart to cut the South lead to 10-8 with 17:34 to play.

"Chloe Hall always is one for us that can get us going and get us back in action, along with Maria Killian and Sophia Ponzini," O'Boyle said. "Offensively, they all stepped it up with moving the ball quickly. Our defense really picked it up with the slides and the crashing, being able to stop them on their end. That was the biggest thing."

But for a short stretch after those two goals, the Panthers' offense came back. South won the draw and after a couple of shots, Lowell scored to make it 11-8.

Windham was called for a push after the shot, giving the Panthers possession, and 49 seconds later, Benzekri scored to put South back up by four with 14:26 remaining.

The Jaguars controlled play from there, but the Panthers' defense was able to keep them at bay. Walsh made a couple of saves and Tefft came up with a pair of checks to alter shots, but South couldn't get the ball back.

The Panthers were running time off the clock, though, and when Ponzini scored to make it 12-9, there was 8:52 remaining. The Jaguars controlled the ensuing draw, and Walsh made a save to get South the ball, but a failed clear led to Gallinelli's goal with 2:34 to play, making it a two-goal game again.

South won the final draw and was able to run out the rest of the clock to hang on for the win.

"They can lose a game and then they can show up and play the next day," McIntire said. "They just need to believe that they can do it and compete for the whole game. It would have been very easy to roll over and fold and say we just played (Monday) and have all the excuses in the world. That was good."