SAUGUS — Not much went right for the Saugus girls lacrosse team Wednesday. The Sachems ran into a tough matchup in a non-conference game against a strong Stoneham team and fell 19-3 at Stackpole field.
It’s been a busy few days for Saugus. The Sachems grinded out a win in a marathon of a game Tuesday, earning a 10-9 win after four overtime periods against Malden.
Despite Wednesday’s loss, assistant coach Melissa Toomey, who’s helping fill in for head coach Kristina Crepeau while she’s on maternity leave, was happy to see the Sachems’ effort.
“We were tired (Wednesday), but we did the best we could,” Toomey said. “It’s definitely good to see the effort (Wednesday) after that. I’m proud of how they played. They didn’t give up and played the whole game. They worked hard.”
The problems started for Saugus in the face-off circle. The Sachems plugged in multiple players to try to combat Stoneham’s Jenna Bragalone, but the Spartans won 22 of 24 face-offs.
“The draw control definitely had a big impact on the game,” Toomey said. “When you win most of them you have more opportunities. Unfortunately that didn’t go our way.
“We had to fight back the whole time,” Toomey said. “But our girls played tough and they played strong all game.”
Sachems goalkeeper Kaylee Giuffrida had 13 saves. Alivia Burke scored two goals for Saugus while Haley Mclaughlin scored one. Carina Vaughan had two assists.
It didn’t take long for Stoneham to get on the board. After a quick faceoff win Bragalone (six goals) gave the Spartans 1-0 lead less than a minute in.
From there, five straight face-off wins helped the Spartans pile it on. Gianna Beauclair (three goals) and Erin Wesley (three goals) each added a goal and Bragalone scored another to stretch the lead to 4-0.
Next, Paige Jordan (six goals) ripped off three-straight goals before Wesley and Bragalone each followed with one goal to put Stoneham ahead 9-0 before Saugus had a possession on offense.
The Sachems saw their first scoring chance a few minutes later. Mclaughlin carried possession into the Stoneham box and swung a pass to Burke but her shot was blocked by Stoneham goalkeeper Stella DePaula. Saugus had another shot attempt after forcing a turnover but it sailed wide before Stoneham went back on the offensive.
Beauclair added another goal for Stoneham before the Sachems got on the board. Mclaughlin legged the ball into the Stoneham zone once again and this time ripped a shot of her own that found the back of the net and cut the Spartans lead to 10-1.
Jordan and Beauclair each added a goal in the final minutes of the half to give Stoneham a 12-1 lead before the break.
After a few quick goals from Bragalone put the Spartans ahead 14-1 the Sachems got back on the board. This time Vaughan assisted a goal from Burke to cut the Stoneham lead to 14-2.
The Spartans responded with two goals from Jordan and Wesley but Burke added another goal after a nice pass from Vaughan to round out the scoring for Saugus.
Bragalone, Jordan and Katie Oro each added a goal to close the game for Stoneham.
The Sachems (2-4) will get a day of much-needed rest before hoping to rebound on the road in a Northeastern Conference matchup at Revere Friday (6).