Sabers rally in second half to beat Cavaliers

HOLLIS - The Souhegan High School girls lacrosse team scored four unanswered goals in the second half to defeat Hollis/Brookline 10-8 Wednesday in a Division I game.

Meggie Whitney and Mickenzie Larivee had three goals apiece for the Sabers (3-0), who scored two goals in 26 seconds to break an 8-8 tie with 11:21 left in the game.

Jamie Wallisch had two goals and an assist for Souhegan while Jesse Jay had a goal and three assists. Madison Learned also scored a goal and Alexa Katsigianis made eight saves.

Jen Naylor led H/B (1-2) with two goals and an assist and Hanna Mazzola added a goal and a helper. Erin Taylor made eight saves in goal while Julie Worthern, Nina Hawxhurst, Emily Lombardi, Kassey Rich and Katie O'Hara each had a goal.

The Cavs opened the scoring just 13 seconds into the game, as Naylor took the opening draw and beat Katsigianis. Souhegan tied the game on a score by Jay four minutes later, and the back-and-forth action continued throughout.

Neither team led by more than two goals and the game was tied six times. H/B took a 6-4 lead with 3:53 left in the first half on Mazzola's goal, but Larivee cut the lead to one with 1:03 left. The Cavs had a chance to end the half with the ball, but a tripping call turned it over and Learned scored with four seconds to go to tie the game at six.

H/B got two goals in the first four minutes of the second half, going up by two on Naylor's second goal with 20:20 to play. But Souhegan came back, pulling within one on a goal by Jay with 19:08 to play and tying the game on a goal by Larivee 1:05 after that.

Whitney's goal with 11:47 to play put the Sabers up for good and Larivee scored 26 seconds later to make it 10-8. Larivee appeared to make it a three-goal game moments later, but the goal was waved off and she was given a yellow card for a dangerous follow-through.

The Cavs were able to get pressure on the Souhegan defense, but Katsigianis came up with the save each time and the Sabers were able to run out most of the final two minutes.