Exeter boys lacrosse ends regular season with win over Goffstown
EXETER – Forgive the Exeter High School boys lacrosse team if Friday felt like a victory lap.
In the final game of their regular season, the Blue Hawks defeated the Goffstown Grizzlies 14-2. The Blue Hawks will now enter the Division I playoffs and with a first-round bye, and their next game will be played in the quarterfinals.
The lights came on early as the sun sank behind Bill Ball Stadium. The nets looked tiny set up in front of the goal posts. Exeter attacker Mike Penna scored early into the game and the team then picked up another point after the faceoff, with four quick passes and an easy lob into the net.
Goffstown could not score in the first quarter, despite some solid movement down the field.
One shot bounced off the post. Another chance was foiled when the ball slid out the back of a stick following some lightning-fast passing from the opposite end of the field – a disappointing non-start to one of their chances at getting past the Blue Hawks’ well-coordinated defense.
“Our mantra for the game is ‘first 12,’ ” Exeter’s Hayden Finity said of the first quarter. “We want to come out strong and not have to battle back.”
The Blue Hawks scored again in the first 10 seconds of the second quarter. Sean Penna got the ball down to attacker Jack Carr, who hooked it into the net on the goalie’s left side before Goffstown’s defense could take shape. Soon after, Zach Kelly scored off a short pass from behind the goal from Jack Carr.
Goffstown scored four minutes into the second quarter, with Stephen Dubois scoring off a pass from Trevor Smith, but Exeter answered with Ben Baldisero passing it high and laterally to attacker Mike Penna for the score. Exeter ended the second quarter with another two goals, and Goffstown had another two ding off the net.
Bizarrely consistent, the Blue Hawks scored another three in the third quarter, Goffstown got one of its own with five seconds left in the quarter. Charles Keith picked up a rebound and scored after a narrow miss from Connor Bourque.
“We like to have a pre-game prayer lead by our captains,” Exeter’s Lukas Thissart said. “We yell really hard on our warm-up lap and everyone gets pretty confident.”
