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Avon’s high-powered offense is too much for Joel Barlow

Avon High senior Britt Douglass scored 7 goals in Wednesday's win over Joel Barlow. She has 50 goals in nine games.

Avon High senior Britt Douglass (17) scored 7 goals in Wednesday’s win over Joel Barlow. She has 50 goals in nine games.

AVON, May 8 – The Avon High girls lacrosse team picked up a few tips after dropping their first game of the season to Glastonbury High last Friday. One tip was to increase the intensity of their play and maintain it throughout the contest.

Tied at 3-3 about midway through the first half, Avon senior Britt Douglass had two goals an assist in a four-goal surge to help the Falcons pull away from Joel Barlow on Wednesday afternoon at the high school. Douglass had a game-high seven goals and three assists to lead the Falcons, now 8-1.

Junior Sammy Maniatty had four goals for Avon while junior Hannah Davey added two goals as the Falcons led by as many as six goals in the second half. Sophomore Megan Foley scored her first varsity goal for Avon. Senior goalie Paige Hammick stopped seven shots to earn the victory in net. 

“Their attack is so dynamic,” Joel Barlow coach Joe Sopko said. “Britt is a phenomenal athlete. Her stick skills are great. She thrives on being challenged and we like to challenge people. She torched us for seven goals. Their athletes are in synch and they are tough to defend.”

Douglass already has 50 goals in nine games for Avon while Davey has 47. Maniatty has 33 goals.

“Britt finds a way to get the ball into the back of the net. It’s hard to shut her down,” Avon coach Sean Cole said. “She make everyone around her better.” Douglass, who will play Division I lacrosse at Furman University next spring, scored 60 goals last year when Avon won the NCCC championship and advanced to the Class M semifinals where they were eliminated by New Canaan.

“We seem to be a work in progress up and down the field,” Cole said.

Avon's Hannah Davey (7) plays tight defense on Joel Barlow's Emma Poppacock.

Avon’s Hannah Davey (7) plays tight defense on Joel Barlow’s Emma Poppacock.

Avon has some new players on the varsity squad but they anchored by Douglass, Maniatty, Davey and senior Emily Wright on offense with Hammick in goal. Wright will play for UMass-Lowell next spring and Hammick has a scholarship offer to play at Sacred Heart. Davey has verbally committed to play at Lafayette in the spring of 2016.

Cole hopes to continue challenging the Falcons in the final weeks of the season as they prepare for the Class M tournament. Avon hosts Newington next Monday (May 12) and travels to Simsbury on Friday, May 16, for a 6:30 p.m. contest. The Falcons close out the season with a road game at Hand on Friday, May 23, at 6 p.m. at the Surf Club in Madison.

One of the improvements against Joel Barlow (7-3) was their intensity — something they learned about in a 15-11 loss to Glastonbury a few days earlier. “We played real hard all over the field instead of just some of the time,” Wright said.

Joel Barlow led 3-2 with about 10 minutes gone in the first half but Douglass took over, scoring three of the next four goals for Avon to give the Falcons a 7-3 halftime lead. Two straight goals put Avon in front and she assisted on a goal by Maniatty that put Avon ahead by two, 5-3. Maniatty was wide open at the top of the circle after taking a long pass downfield from Douglass.

Another goal from Maniatty and Douglass, barreling through traffic, gave Avon a 7-3 lead at haltime. Barlow goalie Erin Holder made three nice stops on point-blank range shots from Davey to keep Barlow in the game.

Barlow cut the lead to three twice in the second half but couldn’t make enough stops against Avon to climb back into contention.

Remaining schedule — Thursday, at Suffield, 4:15 p.m.; Monday, May 12: NEWINGTON, 4 p.m.; Thursday, May 15: SOMERS, 4:30 p.m.; Friday, May 16: at Simsbury, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, May 20: at Farmington, 4 p.m.; Wednesday, May 21: CANTON, 4:15 p.m., Friday, May 23: at Hand, 6 p.m.; Thursday, May 29: NCCC Tournament at Avon

Avon 14, Joel Barlow 9
At Avon
Joel Barlow (7-3)         3   6 — 9
Avon (8-1)                   7 7 — 14
Goals: Avon – Britt Douglass 7, Sammy Maniatty 4, Hannah Davey 2, Megan Foley 1; Joel Barlow – Jess Balinski 1, Mary Mavoun 1, Maddie Cammarola 1, Maggie McQuaide 2; Assists: Avon – Douglass 3, Emily Wright; Joel Barlow – Ramsey Walsh, Sierra Rey; Saves: Paige Hammick (A) 7, Erin Holder (J) 7; Shots – Avon, 21-17

 

 

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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