GLASGOW – With the stakes raised, Saint Mark’s senior leaders stepped up. Katie Hanich, Chloe McCormick and Marcy Kappes combined for 11 goals as the ninth-seeded Spartans defeated No. 16 Indian River, 16-4, in a weather-shortened DIAA girls lacrosse first-round tournament game on May 16.
Saint Mark’s advances to the second round, where they will meet No. 8 Wilmington Friends on May 19 at 4:30 p.m. on the Quakers’ turf field.
The Spartans’ usual playing surface is natural grass, but the game against Indian River was moved to the turf at Hodgson Vo-Tech after rain all week left the grass unplayable. There was 6:21 left on the clock when thunder brought the game to a halt, and, after the field was cleared and the delay grew, the Indians conceded.
That didn’t seem to be a possibility early. The Spartans took the lead for good at 2-1 with 6:40 remaining in the first on an eight-meter opportunity for Hanich (St. John’s-Holy Angels Parish), but the Indians stayed close. IR cut the Saint Mark’s lead to 5-3 on a goal by Kennedy Walker with 1:56 to go, but a save by Allison Simione spurred the Spartans to answer just half a minute later when Hanich tallied again.
That put the lead at three goals at the end of the first quarter, and it proved to be spark that sent the Spartans on their way. Their defense and Simione (St. Margaret of Scotland Parish) kept the Indians off the scoreboard for more than 21 minutes of game time and allowed just one goal in the final two and a half quarters.
Offensively, meanwhile, Saint Mark’s scored six of their own in the second. Kayla Raimondi got it started early, firing in a laser just 39 seconds into the quarter. Five minutes elapsed before a save by Simione spurred a counter-attack, which ended when Cate Jones (St. Margaret of Scotland Parish) got one past Indians goalie Chloe Megee to push the lead to 8-3.
McCormick picked up the next two goals. The first came on an eight-meter opportunity, and the second after a sweet assist for Lauren Daly. Hanich and Raimondi added goals before halftime, extending the lead to nine goals.
The Spartans’ scoring run continued after halftime. They controlled the opening draw, and Hanich fed Kappes for a goal at the 11:30 mark. Saint Mark’s practiced patience with the big lead. They didn’t score again until Kappes hit on an eight-meter. Finally, with 4:40 to go in the third, Claire Baker beat Simione to get the Indians back on the board.
Kappes scored the lone goal of the fourth as the cloud cover grew. Finally, with 6:21 left, both teams were waved off the field, and they would not return.
Hanich and McCormick each scored four goals, and Kappes and Raimondi ended with hat tricks. Jones scored the other two. Simione finished with seven saves. The Spartans improved to 11-4.
Walker scored twice for IR, while Baker and Kacie Kirschner each had one. The Indians finished with a record of 9-7.
Photos by Mike Lang.
