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AUGUSTA — Kaili Phillips notched an unofficial assist for the Brunswick girls lacrosse team on Thursday.
The school’s athletic director, Phillips hooked the Dragons up with popsicles while they waited out a 35-minute weather delay during a playoff game against Cony.
“It was a nice sugar rush, probably kept us going as well,” Brunswick coach EmaLeigh Mathy said. “We were playing games, we were talking. We’re just happy to have the opportunity to play.”
The kick of sugar, and some methodical offense, lifted the fifth-seeded Dragons to a 9-7 victory over No. 4 Cony in a Class B quarterfinal at Fuller Field.
Freshman attack Emma Michaud led Brunswick (10-6) with three goals, while freshman midfielder Morgan Barnhorst and junior midfielder Madison Neault each added two goals.
Brunswick will face either No. 1 Greely (12-2) or No. 8 Gardiner/Hall-Dale (8-7) in the semifinals on Saturday.
Cony finishes the season 9-6. The Rams were led by senior attack Casey Monson, who scored three goals, while sophomore Rylin Miller had a goal and three assists.
“It was a very exciting game, we knew it would be, we always battle with (Brunswick),” Cony coach Grethchen Livingston said. “Today, they had the ball more than we had the ball, that was a result of us losing position more than we could to come away with a win today. But we did fight to the end.”
Here are some other takeaways from Thursday’s game:
Keeping the energy up
Tied 3-3 after two quarters, the game went to a 35-minute halftime, due to sounds of thunder near Augusta-based Cony High School. By rule, the game cannot be played until 30 minutes after the most recent sound of thunder.
Brunswick, which trailed 3-0 in the first quarter before notching three straight goals, including two from Barnhorst, did everything to keep the energy and momentum going during the break. That included the frosty treats from Phillips.
“At halftime, we were really just trying to hype each other up, just motivating each other,” Neault said. “We came out with so much energy, and I think that really helped us on the field, just bonding on the field.”
The strategy worked. Both teams traded goals back-and-forth into the fourth quarter. The contest was tied 7-7 before senior midfielder Solveig Ledwick and Neault tallied goals in the final five minutes to seal the game for the Dragons.
Pushing the pace
Brunswick’s offensive attack throughout the game was possession-based, looking for open passing lanes to set up shots in front of the net.
“At the beginning of the season, we played a lot more of a stressed-run offense, which at times worked,” Mathy said. “We knew that if we wanted to be where we are now, we were going to have to be patient and trust each other. In the last month, we’ve really slowed down. And now they’ve seen the why (behind the strategy).”
It was a game of patience, one that paid off for the Dragons.
“If we rush, we just make stupid passes,” Neault said. “With patience, we make really good things happen.”
Maxim makes huge effort for Cony
Goalie Avery Maxim has made big plays throughout the season for the Rams, but Thursday was one of her best performances. The senior kept Cony in the game throughout, which included several saves on free-position shots by Brunswick in the third quarter.
“I’m real proud of her and how far she’s come,” Livingston said. “How far she’s come from sophomore year to junior year and even this season, it’s been super fun to watch that confidence and leadership. She came up with some big saves for us today.”
In her final game, Maxim finished with nine saves.
Statistical leaders
Brunswick: Emma Michaud (3 goals), Morgan Barnhorst (2 goals), Madison Neault (2 goals), Solveig Ledwick (1 goal, 2 assists)
Cony: Casey Monson (3 goals, 1 assist), Rylin Miller (1 goal, 3 assists), Avery Maxim (9 saves)