The Lake Shore High School girls lacrosse team rolled through the first dozen games on the schedule but a big question lingered: how would the Eagles fare against top competition?
Lake Shore answered that bell in dramatic fashion on Friday night.
In a back-and-forth game that saw the Eagles down most of the night, Erica Kennedy scored in overtime and Lake Shore remained undefeated with a 14-13 win over Lancaster at Depew High School’s Frank Constantino Sports Complex.
“I was really stressed coming in but it’s really nice to have this win under our belts,’ Lake Shore coach Breanna Blasz said. “This was the competition we needed.”
The Eagles’ Maggie Jimmerson scored twice in the final 90 seconds of regulation to force overtime. Lake Shore gained possession following the opening faceoff of OT and never relinquished possession.
Kennedy sealed it with her third goal of the game and 29th of the season.
“We were just trying move and get open spots,” Kennedy said. “I saw an opening and I got it. I didn’t see that the goal was going in, I thought she stopped it. It was just crazy.”
Lake Shore improved to 13-0 with the win, its first by less than eight goals. The way the game started, it looked like the Eagles would be no match for the perennial-power Legends, who scored three goals in the game’s first 3 1/2 minutes. But Lake Shore bounced back with four straight.
“It was our first game with true tough competition and we were not prepared for that at all,” Blasz said. “I think we settled and realized our skill could lead us and that really helped.”
For Lancaster, junior Maddie Mazur had a huge game, leading the Legends with four goals. She had a chance to win it with a free shot in the final seconds of regulation but was denied by Lake Shore goalkeeper Fantasy Jimerson-Kenjockety.
“Maddie Mazur had the best game she’s ever had,” Lancaster coach Julie Buccieri said. “Having her on the line with six seconds left was obviously ideal for us but sometimes the shots don’t go in. She had her best game defensively and attack-wise. She was just great today.”
The Legends fell to 10-4 on the season. Lancaster’s other three losses came to schools outside Western New York.
“We made a couple mistakes late that costs us a little bit,” Buccieri said. “But we played a tough game- I’m really happy with the way we never gave up. We gave it all we had but that’s how it goes sometimes.”
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