Thayer Academy girls lacrosse team showed gritty character in ISL title game loss
MILTON – Anni Zukauskas' team showed its heart and soul when met with adversity.
Instructing from the sidelines during the Thayer Academy girls lacrosse team's 9-8 loss to Nobles in the ISL championship game on Monday, it's all she could've asked for.
“This was an awesome game. This is exactly what a championship game should look like, and exactly what it should feel like," Zukauskas said postgame. "I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
After Thayer dug itself out of a four-goal deficit to lead, 7-6, with 11:52 to play, Nobles scored three consecutive goals to safely swing momentum and secure the win. The 13-2-1 Tigers were vying for their first ISL title since 2012.
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One comeback was feasible, but a frantic second one with little time left proved to be too steep of an uphill climb.
“I think for the last four years and all of Thayer’s lacrosse history, that’s been our team motto: hard work. That’s what we’re known for," senior attacker Caroline Lally, of Norwell, said. "There has been so many games we’re down, sometimes, 7-1 and we come back and win. I think that speaks to our character. We didn’t get it this game, but I’m sure next year, and the years to come, we’ll get them back.”
This time around, however, the stakes were raised and a 5-1 first-half deficit was the challenge at hand. With 8:53 to play until halftime, what ensued was a four-goal avalanche: two goals apiece from Caroline Kendall and Brooke McLoy, both seniors. The second from McLoy, a Hingham native, came on an aggressive dive inside that knotted things at 5 with 1:20 play in the frame.
“They’re workhorses. They show up to battle. They play with the utmost trust in each other. They stick to all of the goals we set. They stuck to believing in the moment and they love to bring everything they have all the time," Zukauskas said. "That was our goal today: to bring our hardest battle, out-hustle, outwork and respond. And they responded in every moment today. That’s a sign of great athletes and teammates that believe in each other.”
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But after Nobles scored the third of a three-goal tear late, with 3:25 remaining in the second half, Thayer lost the following face-off and faced a bleak, short-handed scenario as a penalty sidelined Lally for two minutes.
“I just think cheering on my teammates was the most important part for me in that moment," Lally said. "I wasn’t really thinking about myself. I was just more pushing my teammates and making sure their last two minutes of work were the hardest they could have.”
Right as Lally returned, the Tigers regained possession and with 9.6 seconds left, she scored a goal to bring Thayer within one. The score, ultimately, wasn't enough.
“They are the hardest working athletes I’ve coached. They’re relentless. They live for the moment. They love lacrosse, they love to compete and it shows," Zukauskas praised the effort. "They pour their hearts into everything they do."
The Tigers counted on big-time saves from their lone freshman, goalie Sophia Casagrande, to play a major role in keeping a testy Nobles attack in check. It especially showed in the run to close the first half and according to Zukauskas, she exceeded expectations all season long.
“I see a really bright future for her. She is the definition of brave and we threw her into the highest level of lacrosse,” Zukauskas said. “You see the offense we present, those are the guns that shoot at her every single day. She takes it. She owns it. We needed a few big moments from her today and we got far more than we could’ve ever asked for. We’re just so proud of her.”
The loss marks the end of the road for Thayer's 12 seniors: Lally, Kendall, McLoy, Lindsay Warwick, Kelly Morrison, Eva Chouinard, Margot Maxwell, Kasey Devaney, Elizabeth Gill, Lindsey Wilmot, Ainsley Campbell and Anna Kenney.
“We are so fortunate every one of those seniors wears a Thayer jersey," Zukauskas said. "They are all defining of our program, the culture and they’ll leave a forever mark. Their legacy will stay with us, for sure.”
As for the rest of the team, Thayer will return six juniors, five sophomores and Casagrande next season. Zukauskas says she'll remember this rendition of Tigers lacrosse for its never-quit mentality, which proudly showed Monday despite the season-ending loss.
“I’ll never forget this team," Lally said. "It’s one of the most special teams, special friends and special coaching staff I’ve ever had (and) been a part of.”
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Thayer Academy girls lacrosse loses to Nobles in ISL title game
