Winnacunnet girls lacrosse picked up much-needed win in tough stretch run

Michaela Hardy-Lemire knew the Winnacunnet High School girls lacrosse team was entering the toughest portion of its regular season schedule last Friday when the Warriors hosted Portsmouth.

Over the next five games, Winnacunnet would be playing teams with a combined record of 45-13, with three of those games on the road. It was going to be a make-or-break stretch for the Warriors, and after a game and a half, it didn't look good.

After losing to the Clippers on Friday, 13-7, Winnacunnet fell behind Bedford by eight goals early in the second half on Monday.

Turnovers and the inability to win draw controls put the Warriors in a huge hole, but somehow, they found a way to regroup and comeback for a 14-12 win, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

"We knew it'd be a tough week for us," Hardy-Lemire said. "We had to keep preparing. We kept telling the girls that they had to continue to push each other and slap each others' sticks. Motivate each other for the next draw. Think of the next play. They're a great team and a great group of girls."

The turnaround started where it usually does in girls lacrosse, on the draw, as the Warriors (10-1) started winning each one. Those wins allowed Winnacunnet to rush down the field and attack the goal before Bedford's defense could get set.

"We kind of took advantage of pushing on the fast break and we took advantage of not letting their defense settle," Hardy-Lemire said. "We didn't want them to settle right away. We wanted to make them uneasy, make them uncomfortable, and try to weave and see that space, and also post up in the middle."

And after they'd started their comeback, the Warriors slowed things down and started patiently attacking the Bulldogs, and that began with the play behind the goal of sophomores Keelyn and Ali McNamara.

Winnacunnet was also efficient with its shots, scoring on 14 of 18 attempts, including all four shots in the first half.

"We had to calm it down again, having the draw, we wanted to have possession," Hardy-Lemire said. "We wanted to work the ball around and really find that open space and open seams. The twins saw those crease rolls all day long and took advantage of it."

The Warriors have another long road trip on Wednesday, as they travel to Hollis Brookline (5-4) before their final home game on Friday against Hanover (8-3).

Then its road games against John Stark (8-3) and Alvirne (2-9) before finishing the regular season at Exeter (7-7), which could be fighting for a playoff spot in Division I.