By BOB YORK
“We did pretty well for ourselves this season,” said Allison DiNardo of her Deerfield Academy girls lacrosse team. “We got off to a bit of a slow start,” added the Big Green mentor, referring to an 0-4 beginning. “But we got things straightened out and ended up performing to the best of our ability. ”
When your schedule lasts just two months, dropping your first four games can really put a dent in your final record, but this Big Green squad rebounded to win nine of the last dozen games it played to finish with a respectable 9-7 showing. Deerfield’s strong finish included a five-game winning streak that really sticks in DiNardo’s mind.
“We beat both Loomis and Taft during that stretch,” said DiNardo. “Both those schools have perennially very strong field hockey programs and it marked the first time since 2008 that we’d beaten both of them in the same season.”
The victory over Loomis likely marked the highlight of the Big Green’s season, as it bested the Pelicans, who went 9-3 on the year, by a 13-12 margin in overtime. And if that isn’t enough to place it atop your memory of moments, Caroline Ashford’s timing certainly would. Ashford (14), who earned a spot on the Western New England Division I Girls Lacrosse League All-Star Team for her heroics throughout the season, scored the game winner with just four seconds remaining in the overtime frame.
Ashford, who finished the season as the Big Green’s top scorer with over 50 goals, played a prominent role in Deerfield’s 13-8 win over Taft as well, as she led the charge with a five-goal performance. Kelsey Gallagher (13) and Allison Dewey (14), meanwhile, followed with three goals each, as Lili Brown (14) registered four assists.
Ashford, Dewey and Brown will serve as tri-captains of next year’s team.