Carrboro girls lacrosse defeats East Chapel Hill for 1st time
Carrboro had never beaten East Chapel Hill in the entire history of their girls lacrosse program.
Granted, that history only spanned seven years, but that didn’t make Tuesday night’s 5-4 win any less sweet.
“We have seven seniors that this has been a goal for every season,” Carrboro head coach Mason Cox said. “They worked hard, the defense was awesome. I’m proud of them.”
East Chapel Hill struck first on a goal by senior Sienna Zuco, but junior Mackenzie Cox tied the game with her first of four goals eight minutes in with a runner from the right flank. Cox took the lead again for Carrboro with six minutes left in the first half after taking a pass fifteen yards out from goal and bouncing it past the keeper.
East Chapel Hill junior Mava Levin tied the score at 2-2 a couple minutes later after a quick shot off of a referee restart, but Carrboro entered the second half with a 3-2 lead after senior Catherine Strong tucked one inside the right post right before halftime.
Cox scored two more times in the second half, each score giving the Jaguars a two goal lead. Each time, though, the Wildcats were able to cut the lead down to one, first with 10:46 left, then again on Zuco’s second goal with 2:32 remaining. After winning the ensuing faceoff, however, two shots went wide and Carrboro goalie Abby Seagroves picked up the ground ball to give her team possession and cleared it to help seal the win.
Seagroves, who also is the goalie for Carrboro’s field hockey team, was instrumental in the cage for Carrboro. She had eight saves in the first half, then outdid herself in the second half with nine, with several of those saves of a high degree of difficulty. She finished saving 17 of East’s 24 total shots for the game.
“Oh my gosh, 17 saves, what else do you say?” coach Cox said. “Not only was she saving the ball, she cleared the ball.”
The win leaves Carrboro tied at the top of the Conference 5 standings with defending state champion Cardinal Gibbons. Carrboro will host the Crusaders on April 7.
This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 12:22 AM with the headline "Carrboro girls lacrosse defeats East Chapel Hill for 1st time."