Above: Catherine Sprague right before her move to score in the 4/22/24 game versus Moses Brown. Photo by Chuck Nadeau

By Tommy Sprague

The Avengers faced a formidable challenge against the talented Moses Brown team on Monday (4/22/24), as the Division 1 champions visited Carcieri Field for the first time this season. Despite putting up a valiant effort, our young squad found themselves tested by the dominance of the Quakers.

Sophomore Lindsey Rowe showed great tenacity in fighting for possession at the draw, but the Moses Brown defense proved too strong, creating numerous turnovers that fueled their offensive onslaught. In the first half alone, Moses Brown registered roughly 20 shots on goal compared to our 3. It was only through the incredible efforts of our freshman goalie, Ella Mercurio, that the score differential remained fairly reasonable, with Moses Brown leading 9-2 at halftime. EG goals were scored by junior Catherine Sprague and freshman Tessa Charello-Ingegneri.

Despite stepping up our offensive efforts in the second half and generating more shots on goal, the Avengers were only able to add 2 more goals, both scored by Charello-Ingegneri. With a substantial lead of over 10 points, Moses Brown invoked the rule where the clock does not stop except for team timeouts, official timeouts, and injuries. They continued to press offensively, adding an additional 6 goals to make the final score 19-4 in their favor.

Though the outcome was not what the Avengers had hoped for, they took pride in the effort and determination displayed by the team as they faced their next opponent, the Rebels of South Kingstown on Thursday (4/25/24).

Playing on the picturesque grass fields of Curtis Corner Middle School in Wakefield, the team maintained focus on the opponent at hand and came together as a cohesive unit. EG’s offense asserted dominance, controlling possession and netting 10 goals in the first half compared to SK’s 2. Goals were distributed among Charello-Ingegneri (3), Rowe (3), freshman Amaya Gomez (2), Sprague (1), and freshman Rowan Carney, who scored her first high school goal.

With such a significant lead, Avenger’s coach Haley McCusker-O’Keefe made strategic roster changes to provide valuable playing time for the broader freshman class. Despite the lineup adjustments, EG continued to dictate possession and added more points to the board. Additional goals were scored by Charello-Ingegneri (3), Sprague (1), sophomore Lindsey Ziady (1), and junior Eva Dufresne (1), securing a final score of 16-5 in favor of EG.

Lindsey Ziady puts up an aggressive defense against MB. Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Olivia Prior advances after stealing the ball from Moses Brown. Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Lindsey Rowe starts the advance against a Moses Brown player. Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Maeve Kiernan advances after the faceoff in the game against Moses Brown. Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Tessa Charello-Ingegneri watches from midfield. Photo by Chuck Nadeau