“We’ll keep the momentum going.”
That’s the mission statement from Nikki Lespasio, second-year head coach of the Bedford High School girls’ lacrosse team, on the eve of the biggest game of the season so far.
Center draw to open the MIAA Division 2 state quarterfinals game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday on Sabourin Field. The Bucs will face Dartmouth High School, with a berth in the sport’s final four on the line.
On paper it’s the likely match: Bedford was ranked third in the division after the regular season; Dartmouth was sixth.
And the Bucs, who reached this level a year ago before losing in the sectional championship, are taking nothing for granted. Lespasio has 12 seniors on her roster who remember that disappointment.
They also remember being briefly ambushed Saturday night, falling behind a physical team from Leominster before scoring 15 goals without a response.
That game, Lespasio said, “will probably be one of my most proud moments as a coach — the way the team kept their composure and their cool when facing bouts of aggression.” The final score was 20-6. Among the goals were the 195th, 196th, 197th, 198th, 199th, and 200th of senior Allie Zorn’s BJS lacrosse career.
Meanwhile, Dartmouth needed to go into overtime to qualify, beating Burlington 11-10. Bedford defeated Burlington by 12, though that was more than two months ago. There aren’t any other comparative scores.
Lespasio called this Tuesday’s contest “historic. We look forward to hosting, and having all the support we can for this incredible team!”
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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