Pinkerton girls lacrosse continues to roll with win over Londonderry (video)

DERRY - Defense has been a bit of a work-in-progress this season for the Pinkerton Academy girls lacrosse team.

Against Londonderry on Monday, the Astros showed where some of that progress could be taking them.

Pinkerton's defense didn't allow a goal for a 23-minute stretch and gave up just one in the game's final 31 minutes, as the Astros pulled away from Londonderry in the second half for a 15-4 win in a Division I contest.

The Lancers scored with 5:56 remaining in the first half to make it a two-goal game, but the Astros (5-1, No. 4 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll) added two goals before halftime to make it a 7-3 lead and then scored six straight to open the second half.

"To change the way we run the defense and the sets on offense, it was going to take a while. It wasn’t going to come together quickly," first-year Pinkerton coach Katie Blair said. "The more games under our belts and the more chemistry we have playing with each other, it’s only going to help in the long run. We keep reminding them, it’s one game at a time and next opponent up. We’re not trying to do everything today."

Pinkerton came into the game off back-to-back shutouts against Keene-Monadnock and Salem, but the defensive effort against a Londonderry team that had averaged 10 goals per game over its last four was encouraging.

"We have a whole new defensive crew here and we’re trying to figure everything out and it’s going well so far," Pinkerton senior Emma Thompson said. "We’re working through that, and we’ve just got to fix somethings, but it’s definitely going good."

The Astros got 13 saves from goalie Lauren Sweeney, while Hailey Schnider had five goals and two assists and Allison Lamphere also had five goals, including the 100th of her career. Caitlin Seleny dished out four assists while Hannah Lisauskas (two assists) and Bella Pinardi (one assist) had two goals apiece. Liz Fournier also scored for Pinkerton.

Londonderry (2-4, No. 10) got two goals from Caroline Leone while Lauren Allen had a goal and an assist. Tara Wright also scored and Meg Daileanes had an assist.

"There were definitely some good things, things that we’ve been working on and improving," Londonderry coach Kelly Gordon said. "I think toward the end of the game, or parts of the game, we’re getting a little frantic. This is always a high-intensity, high-emotion game with it being a rivalry. Sometimes we dipped into that frantic area and fell apart a little bit."

When it looked like that might happen in the first half, with Schnider and Pinardi scoring twice in less than two minutes to make it a 5-2 game, the Lancers took a timeout and regrouped.

Leone scored to get the lead back down to two goals, but Schnider answered that just 52 seconds later, and the sophomore added another goal with 20.1 seconds left in the half.

Lamphere scored just 48 seconds into the second half, which gave her the career milestone, and then she added two more - with another by Schnider in between - to give Pinkerton an 11-3 lead with 17:52 left in the game.

"I feel like in the first half, we were rushing and we were frantic," Lamphere said. "No one was open and they were playing really good defense. It seemed like they kind of knew what we were trying to do. We took a step back in the second half and kind of relaxed and figured out our own game."

When the Lancers did get possession, Pinkerton's defense was able to force turnovers or Sweeney was able to step up with a save. The senior started a breakout off one, hitting Seleny with a long clear to midfield, and she then found Lisauskas alone behind the Londonderry defense for a quick transition goal that made it 12-3 with 13:56 left.

"We have a fantastic goalie," Thompson said. "Lauren is insane, and when she saves it, she has quick clears and that’s what we’ve got to work on, getting the ball up the field. Lauren is always there and it’s comforting to know that."

And now the rest of the defense is solidifying in front of Sweeney.

"Defense has finally found their groove," Blair said. "We know who is playing where. We’re doing a great job communicating and handing off cutters. Putting out pressure when we want to put out pressure. They’ve found their way and they’re a really solid unit right now."