Panther Creek fends off Holly Springs girls lacrosse 11-8
Despite falling behind early, the Panther Creek girls lacrosse team made the first half of Thursday’s game at Holly Springs possibly its best of the season. The Catamounts, 11-8 victors, finished the first period on an 8-1 run.
“We came out hard in the first half … and kept our intensity as best we could,” Panther Creek coach Allison DuChon said. “We went out there as a team and relied on each other as one unit.”
The Catamounts (3-4, 2-2) picked up their third win in a row. With a weeklong break looming, DuChon spent postgame stressing the importance that the squad keeps their stick skills fresh over spring break.
“They need to have this intensity and take it into the rest of the games this season and keep this feeling alive,” she said.
After Alyssa Wyant and Samantha Volz gave the Golden Hawks (3-4, 1-3) a 2-0 lead to open the night, Megan Collins was the chieftain of a 6-0 run that put her team in the driver’s seat. From the 17:53 to 8:30 mark of the first half, Collins scored twice and also had an assist.
After Volz ended the Hawks’ scoring drought with 3:53 remaining, Collins scored four straight unanswered goals and also assisted Claire Reist on the Catamounts’ final goal of the night.
“(Coach DuChon) always fires us up,” Collins said. “The past couple games everyone has been really fired up and we’re trying to get the score higher and higher every time.”
After scoring 44 goals over its previous two games, Holly Springs’ offense sputtered for the most of the night but came alive late in the second half as the Hawks ended the game on a 5-1 run.
“Part of what they need to do is realize they’re capable of coming back and competing with these teams,” Holly Springs coach Rayeen Thebeau said. “We always have to go 100% and treat the score like its 0-0.”
Turning point
Abbi Pagano’s goal 22 seconds after the Hawks’ second goal set off an onslaught of Panther Creek goals.
Three to know
Megan Collins, Panther Creek: Collins led all players in both goals (6) and assists (2).
Hannah Avey-Overfelt, Holly Springs: The Catamounts likely would’ve scored many more if not for Avey-Overfelt’s 12 saves, many of which came right on the doorstep.
Abbi Pagano, Panther Creek: Pagano had two goals for the Catamounts but and was also a great facilitator that spurred Panther Creek’s ball movement on offense.
By the numbers
4: Players to score for Holly Springs – Wyant, Volz, Ali Morgan and Jennifer Hower.
5: Players to score for Panther Creek – Pagano, Collins, Madison Brown, Ashley Fink and Reist. Also the number of saves for goalie Carleigh Amyot.
This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 11:43 PM with the headline "Panther Creek fends off Holly Springs girls lacrosse 11-8."