Undefeated and homestanding Deerfield Academy, ranked No. 7 nationally by MaxPreps, withstood an early assault by Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.) and went on to log its 13th-straight victory, 10-7, in Western New England Division 1 competition.
The Big Green opened up the scoring when Josh Hawkins scored on a one-bounce goal after receiving a pass from midfielder Pete Berg.
But the Winged Beavers (9-3) surged ahead on three-straight goals, first by Josh Dionne followed by Stephen Burns and Henry Tesar with just 46 seconds left in the quarter.
Deerfield countered with a pair of quick-strike tallies in 40 seconds to end the first quarter. Berg notched the first and Tristan Miller tied the score to end the quarter.
Jim Forrey and Teddy Andrea trickled in a loose ball on the ground to put the hosts ahead, 5-3. Avon Old Farms' Connor Mooney closed the gap to 5-4 on a 20-foot shot just before the half.
Dionne, John Rose and Jimmy Bitter scored successive goals in the third period but the Winged Beavers never closed the deficit to less than two goals afterward.
The Big Green, in its 17th-straight winning season under 20-year head coach Chip Davis, has now compiled a 143-12 record since 2000.
"We have a high-IQ defense that bends but never breaks," Davis said.
Top defenders include Michael Morris, Rob Castelo and 6-foot-4, 250-pound Teddy Reed, a standout defensive end in football who will play on the gridiron for another 'Big Green' squad next season, NCAA Division I-AA Dartmouth University.
Davis emphasizes he never mentions national rankings and says the three remaining contests --- at No. 10 Salisbury (Conn.), Exeter and Lawrenceville (N.J.) --- will all be tough.
"We will need to play unselfishly, get better quality possessions and make better decisions with the ball," Davis said.
More Lacrosse: St. John's (Shrewsbury) prevails against Longmeadow
It was more than a regional battle between St. John's of Central Massachusetts vs. Longmeadow, defending state champion of Western Massachusetts. It offered a possible preview of a playoff game between two of the state's best Division 2 teams. St. John's held off visiting Longmeadow, 14-11, behind six goals by Wagner-bound Colin O'Rourke.
The Lancers (6-6) failed to convert on several opportunities near the net, including some unforced errors. But Kyle Smith, headed for UMass-Amherst and already the school's all-time leading scorer, continued his assault on the record books and his quest for 400 career points (only two others have done so) by compiling five goals and picking up two more assists.
Midfielder Eric Proos also scored two goals and had two assists for St. John's.
Baseball: Westford upsets Lincoln-Sudbury in extra innings
Senior James Marcouillier singled in the winnng run in the top of the 10th inning as Westford Academy knocked off previously unbeaten Lincoln-Sudbury, 4-3, in a dazzling extra-inning matchup between the Dual County Large powers.
Lincoln-Sudbury ace Derek Lowe had a one-hitter and 3-0 lead heading into the sixth but after the Grey Ghosts scored two runs on him, L-S relievers could not hold the lead.
Westford Academy's Peter Lynch came in to pitch a sparkling four innings of relief, including eight K's.
Alex Cloutier and Allan Surrette each had two hits with Sam Shackleton delievering two RBI and Tim Jordan drove in the other run one for Westford.
