MEDFIELD — Medfield was seeded number one in Division 3 for a reason and its ranking was emphatically justified with a 22-3 victory over a determined but outgunned Nauset girls lacrosse team last Thursday afternoon.
Junior captain Julia Kipperman’s hat trick provided the only offense that the Warriors could muster against a Medfield offensive juggernaut that deployed balanced scoring and pinpoint passing to open up an 11-1 lead before the end of the first period.
Despite the loss, team captains Laurel Ricard, Abby Powers, Zoe Labdon, and Kipperman were upbeat about a season in which they rebounded from a 1-4 start to win 11 of their last 13 games before playing Medfield. Seven of those wins were by 2 goals or fewer — a sign of a well-coached, disciplined team. The Red Sox, who have lost 17 one-run games, should take notice.
“We all individually improved,” said Ricard, a senior who has been on the team since she was in 8th grade. “I never saw a team come together so fast, and it showed.”
“We knew we needed to fight it out,” said Powers, reflecting on the team’s slow start to the season. “Honestly, I am really proud of this team.”
Labdon, who also has been with the team since middle school, predicted good things for her returning teammates. “This team is going to be great next year,” the senior midfielder said.
Kipperman, the only returning captain, agreed while praising her departing teammates. “I am super excited for next year,” she said, “but I’ll miss my seniors.”
Coach Heather Stevens, completing her 22nd season, said, “The season was awesome” on her way off the field for the final time this year. “There is a lot of talent on this team, and the girls learned to play together.”
