Above: Tessa Charello-Ingegneri gets blocked from the center lane against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

By Tommy Sprague

It was a triumphant week for the East Greenwich Avengers girls’ lacrosse team as they secured two more victories in this mid-season run.

On Friday night (5/3/24), the Avengers hosted the Lincoln School Lynxes for the first time this season. Despite a sluggish start punctuated with an early EG yellow card, the Avengers’ offense persevered with junior Catherine Sprague and sophomore Lindsey Rowe netting a goal each. The Avengers intensified their offensive efforts for the remainder of the first half, adding 5 more goals to their tally. Five players scored in the second quarter -– Sprague (2), Rowe, freshman Tessa Charello-Ingegneri, freshman Ava Halvorsen, and junior Maeve Kiernan. Solid defensive play from freshman goalie Ella Mercurio and impressive steals from senior captain Lexie Kavanagh, Kiernan, and junior Olivia Prior limited the Lynxes to only 4 goals, ending the first half with the Avengers leading 8-4.

In the second half, the Avengers maintained their offensive pressure, resulting in further goals from both the attack and midfield lines. Senior captain Julia Moore secured a hat-trick, alongside Charello-Ingegneri with three more, and Kiernan and sophomore Lindsey Ziady each adding a goal to the board. The final score was EG 16, Lincoln 8, marking a great win for the team and setting their sights on their next opponent, the Portsmouth Patriots, the very next day.

The Patriots came into this game confident after defeating the Avengers handily in their initial matchup of the season. But they learned very quickly that this is a very different EG team than they faced in April. Saturday’s contest proved to be a more evenly matched event. In the first half, the Patriots’ offense started strong with a couple of quick goals, but the Avengers managed to halt Portsmouth’s momentum by deploying freshman Mia Berte in the draw circle. Berte’s tenacity in winning ground balls was a game-changer, ensuring possession remained with EG’s skilled goal scorers on offense. Charello-Ingegneri (3), Sprague (2), Rowe, Halvorsen, and Cavanaugh contributed, putting EG ahead by 2 at halftime with a score of EG 9, Portsmouth 7.

Berte’s draw control continued to be instrumental in the second half, leading to further offensive success from attackers Charello-Ingegneri (3) and Sprague. Although the Patriots managed to narrow the gap, including a goal counted as time appeared to have expired on the third quarter, the Avengers’ Coach Haley McCuster O’Keefe capitalized on her team’s speed and exceptional stick skills by instructing them to hold the ball and kill the clock. The Avengers maintained possession for the majority of the fourth quarter, frustrating both the Patriots’ coaches and players on the field. Portsmouth’s cross-check on Moore in the final 2 minutes dashed any hopes of a Patriots comeback. The final score was EG 13, Portsmouth 11. The Avengers certainly avenged that early season loss in Portsmouth and showed that they have made immense progress as a unit. 

The Avengers have a big week ahead of them. They face a hot LaSalle team on Monday away at 6:30 p.m., Thursday at home against Prout at 4 p.m., and Lincoln on Friday away at 4:15 p.m.  The girls appreciate the support in the stands – come out for a game or two!

Lindsey Rowe advances down the left side against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Courtney Kavanaugh brings it from the back of the net against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Ava Halvorsen holds down the center against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Ani Gomez and Eva Dufresne put the X up for a “do not enter” against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Lindsey Ziady passes to the center against Portsmouth (5/4/24). Photo by Chuck Nadeau

Tommy Sprague lives in East Greenwich. Our thanks to him for covering Girls LAX. EG News is looking for similarly motivated sports enthusiasts to help us cover other EG sports. If you are interested, contact [email protected]. It’s a lot of fun!