(April 24, 2015) The Stephen Decatur girls’ lacrosse team edged out defending Bayside Conference champions, the Queen Anne’s Lions, 11-10 in overtime last Friday in Centreville.
“It was quite a game. It was a good, hard-fought game on both sides,” said Decatur Coach Bob Musitano. “It could have gone either way. It was a really nice win.”
Senior Payton VanKirk kicked off the scoring with a goal about two minutes into the game.
Queen Anne’s answered seconds later.
Decatur pulled ahead 4-1 with goals by VanKirk, senior Blair Yesko and sophomore Victoria Kerkovich.
The Lions netted three shots to tie the score 4-4 with less than eight minutes remaining in the first half.
Junior Elle Bargar made it 5-4 Decatur, but Queen Anne’s added a goal and at the break it was even at five each.
VanKirk, Yesko and Bargar capitalized on scoring opportunities to boost the Seahawks’ advantage to 8-5 in the second half.
The Lions fought back again, putting four shots past Decatur goalie, senior captain Jillian Petito, to take their first lead of the game, 9-8.
Yesko tied it 9-9 with a little over a minute remaining and the game headed into overtime.
Yesko scored in the first three-minute extra period and Decatur led 10-9. Queen Anne’s tied it up in the second overtime period.
With 52 seconds remaining, Bargar was awarded a free position shot. She capitalized and gave Decatur an 11-10 advantage.
Yesko led Decatur with four goals and an assist. Bargar and VanKirk (three assists) had three goals each. Kerkovich scored once.
Petito recorded 14 saves.
“I think everybody played hard. I don’t think they expected some of our kids to be as fast as they were,” Musitano said. “Everything had to click, and at the same time … our defense played very well and on offense, when we had the ball, we capitalized on opportunities.
On Monday the Cape Henlopen Vikings, the defending Delaware state champs, traveled to Berlin. Each time Decatur scored in the first half, Cape Henlopen answered. The Seahawks eventually built a small lead. At halftime they led 8-5. Decatur began to pull away in the second half and won the game 15-9.
“Our transition game worked well. We got a couple nice goals on transition,” Musitano said.
Yesko was the top producer with five goals and three assists. VanKirk had four goals and an assist and Kerkovich logged three goals. Senior captain Ally Beck (one assist) and sophomores Claire Porter (two assists) and Brigitte Ardis (two assists) each tallied one goal.
Petito stopped 10 Cape Henlopen shots.
Decatur will head to Salisbury today, Friday, to play the Wi-Hi Indians at 5 p.m.
On Monday, the Seahawks will battle Worcester Prep at 4 p.m. on the Mallards’ field.
“All of the girls know each other,” Musitano said of the Seahawks and Mallards. “It will be quite a fight. It’s a cross-town rivalry.”
