It was three more wins for the Marblehead High boys lacrosse team (11-0 in the Northeastern Conference, 13-0 overall) as they continued to cruise toward a top seed in the Division 2 state tournament.
One of those victories was against Bedford, New Hampsure on May 10. They are a formidable opponent north of the border that will certainly help in the overall state power rankings. Marblehead is currently ranked 15th.
The Granite State club is coached by former Marblehead assistant Drew Boudreau, who was a member of coach John Wilkens’ staff in 2021.
The Magicians had to stage a late comeback against their out-of-state visitors to beat them, 8-7. They were trailing, 6-4, before outscoring Bedford, 4-1 to pull out the close win.
“(Bedford) is a very good, athletic team,” said Wilkens. “It was certainly a gritty win for us but something we need to get ready for the state tournament.”
Sophomore Reece Moore (two goals), Charlie Grenier (two goals, 1 assist) and Connor Cronin (two goals, one assist) paced the offensive attack against Bedford. Carter Laramie and Baxter Jennings chipped in with one goal and one assist apiece.
Goalie Finn Maniaci stepped up to make 11 saves to do his part in the comeback effort.
“(Maniaci) made several big saves for us late in the game that certainly got his teammates motivated to get the comeback going,” said Wilkens.
The Magicians began the week with a 19-4 win over Gloucester on May 8.
Laramie and Cronin led the way on offense with five goals apiece that also included two and four assists for them, respectively.
Grenier accounted for three goals and three assists. Jennings ended up with two goals and two assists against the Fishermen. Cam Waldman shot home two more scores. Nick Whitaker had one tally. Gio Garibotto and Moore each assisted on one goal. Maniaci was credited with six saves in this game.
The Marblehead boys closed out the week with a 16-4 triumph over Peabody on May 11.
Cronin was the points leader in this game with five goals and one assist. Moore was next in line with three goals and one assist. Garibotto notched the hat trick. Waldman scored twice.
Laramie was credited with one goal and two assists. Grenier came through with one goal and one assist. Jack Whipple had one marker. Zander Danforth, Bodie Smith and Jennings setup one goal apiece.
Maniaci came up with 10 saves while he was in there before freshman Finn Gallup took over the goaltending chores. He went on to stop four more Peabody shots.
After recording yet another win, the Magicians have since been getting ready for Masco, a team that they defeated in overtime last month at home, 11-10. This time, they are heading to the Boxford campus on May 16.
Following that clash, they will come home to take on Winthrop Thursday, May 18, at 4:30 p.m., before going to Lexington for a Saturday afternoon contest against the non-league Minutemen, beginning at 3 p.m.
