Home Local Sports Megan Noonan scores five to boost St. Mark’s girls lacrosse

Megan Noonan scores five to boost St. Mark’s girls lacrosse

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Megan Noonan (right) led St. Mark's with five goals.

MIDDLETOWN – Megan Noonan scored five times and added two assists to lead St. Mark’s to an 11-8 win over Middletown in girls lacrosse on April 3. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Spartans.

The Spartans had a pair of four-goal leads in the first half, but that was as large as their advantage would get all afternoon. The host Cavaliers cut the St. Mark’s lead to two on four separate occasions during the second half, but each time the Spartans responded with a goal of their own. And when the Spartans finally regained a four-goal cushion in the final minutes, it was Middletown that quickly got it back to three, but that was as close as they would get.

Lindsay Sawyer drives for the Spartans against Middletown. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

The teams were level at a goal apiece when Noonan went to work. She beat Cavs goalie Taylor Toman high after taking a pass over the middle from Lauren Pala. Two minutes after that, Noonan drove down the middle of the field and went low, extending the lead to 3-1. Lindsay Sawyer was next to score for the Spartans, capitalizing on a free-position opportunity with 12:43 left in the half. Sawyer scored again at the 10:56 mark, converting a pass from Noonan.

The Cavaliers’ offense came to life shortly thereafter. One possession ended on a shot over St. Mark’s goalie Jackie Stofa, and the next shot sailed wide. But Emma Fisher made sure the third chance was true, scoring on a free-position shot. Noonan, with an assist from Sawyer, restored the four-goal cushion, but Fisher went five hole with eight seconds left in the half to make it 6-3 at the break.

St. Mark’s goalie Jackie Stofa readies for the shot. (The Dialog/Mike Lang)

The back-and-forth started immediately in the second half. Joi Mann tallied for the Cavaliers inside the first minute of play, but – after replacement goalie Emily Lewis saved two free-position shots – Sadie Leonard found the back of the net. Middletown also had deficits of 7-5, 8-6, and finally 9-7 with 8:45 remaining in the contest.

Leonard scored her second goal from in close after taking a pass from behind the net, and Noonan capped the Spartans’ scoring at the 3:48 mark, beating Lewis far side. Middletown needed just 19 seconds to get one back, but that would be the last goal of the game.

Sawyer, Leonard and McKenzie Beamer each scored a pair for the Spartans, who evened their record at 2-2. Stofa was credited with nine saves. St. Mark’s travels to Sussex County on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tussle at Indian River.

Final statistics were not available for Middletown. The Cavs (1-4) dropped their fourth straight and look to return to the win column on Tuesday at Mount Pleasant at 3:30 p.m.