Sports
Girls lacrosse: Last-second goal salvages tie

May 8, 2008

Wilton%u2019s Laura Johnson (left) and Greenwich%u2019s Hannah Powers fight for a loose ball during Monday%u2019s girls lacrosse game in Greenwich. J.B. Cozens photo

On the verge of its second 14-13 overtime loss in four days, the Wilton High girls lacrosse team salvaged its week by scoring in the final seconds of overtime on Monday in Greenwich.
The 14-14 tie in the showdown between two of the FCIAC’s elite teams could have been another devastating loss. On Friday, the Warriors surrendered a late goal to visiting New Canaan to force overtime, and eventually wound up losing in the second overtime, 14-13.
That was almost the case on Monday, after Greenwich scored two goals in a span of 13 seconds to take a 14-13 lead with 46 seconds left in the second overtime.
Alexi Farmakis got the ball on the ensuing face-off, but Wilton missed on a couple of good chances as the clock went under 20 seconds to play. Kacie Johnson eventually wound up with the ball behind the cage and tried to come out in front. The ball was checked away, but Johnson picked it up and quickly turned and fired from about eight yards out for the goal with nine seconds left.
Johnson, who finished the game with four goals and an assist, had also tied the game up with 33 seconds left in the first overtime, off a Farmakis assist.
Wilton had taken a 13-12 lead with 1:23 left in the second three-minute overtime on a nice run and shot by Amy Drummond, who had a huge game with four goals.
Farmakis finished with three goals and one assist and Brooke Flanagan had two goals. Kyra Hansson also scored, while Virginia Curry had an assist.
The tie left both teams — which entered the game ranked second (Wilton) and third (Greenwich) in the state — with 8-2-1 records.
Neither team ever led by more than two goals, and the score was tied 12 times.
Greenwich’s biggest lead followed a 4-1 run to open the second half, which erased a 7-6 Wilton halftime lead and put the Cards in front, 10-8, with 19:41 left to play.
It was a critical juncture where Greenwich, playing its best lacrosse of the day, could have put the game away. But the Wilton defense — Hansson, Kelly Mendola, Laura Johnson, Leslie Stebbins, Liza Rodiger, Paige Powell, Chelsea Helms were key players — managed to hold Greenwich scoreless for more than 17 minutes.
But it was Katie Gunts in goal who really kept Wilton in the game after Greenwich had gone up two goals. She came up with a couple of big saves — often charging out to cut down the angle on an open Greenwich shooter — to keep the Cards off the board over a span of eight scoreless minutes midway through the half.
Wilton finally broke through with 11:38 left when Hansson scored, and a minute later Gunts made a huge save to deny Greenwich. That allowed Wilton to pull even again, 10-10, with 9:14 left when Kacie Johnson drew a double team and dumped off to Farmakis for an open shot.
The Warriors finally regained the lead, 11-10, by capping off a 3-0 run on a goal by Flanagan, off a great set-up by Curry, with 7:56 left.
WHS had a couple of chances to add an insurance goal, with the Greenwich goalie robbing Curry in front and Flanagan putting a shot off the post. Gunts also made some key stops down the stretch, but there was nothing she could do when Greenwich was awarded a free position that resulted in a wide-open shot with 2:14 left, making it 11-11.
Gunts finished the game with 11 saves.
In the loss to New Canaan, Wilton was led by Kacie Johnson with five goals and four assists, while Flanagan had three goals and one assist. Drummond and Lindsey Harkness each scored two goals and Farmakis had one goal and two assists. Drummond also had an assist.

© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers