SAN MARIN RALLIES IN NCS QUARTERfinal - Marin Independent Journal

GIRLS LACROSSE

SAN MARIN RALLIES IN NCS QUARTERfinal

Bartholo enjoys big second half as Mustangs advance to Division II semis

Abigail Bartholo (21) of San Marin jumps, shoots and scores over the University defense at the North Coast Section Division II quarterfinals in Novato on Thursday. No. 1 San Marin defeated No. 8 University 16-13. PHOTOS BY SHERRY LAVARS — MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL

Abigail Brackett (4) of San Marin gets pumped after scoring a goal late in the fourth quarter against University at the North Coast Section Division II quarterfinals in Novato on Thursday.

Image

By Derek Wilson

dwilson@marinij.com

Through a mass of legs and arms, Abby Bartholo saw the yellow ball on the ground in the middle of a scrum at the doorstep to the goal. In a flash, the San Marin sophomore swiped the ball into the net to give new life to the Mustangs’ playoff drive.

“I saw the ball there and took my shot,” said Bartholo after the Mustangs’ 16-13 comeback win over University on Thursday in the North Coast Section Division II quarterfinals. “I don’t like to lose and I wasn’t going to let my team lose.”

Bartholo scored three of her five goals in the third period to help erase a four-goal deficit and push the Mustangs into the lead as part of a furious third period. San Marin couldn’t hold on to the lead as University took advantage of penalties to score twice in the closing minute of the third period and tie the game 12-12.

“We’ve had other times where we’ve had to come back from big deficits, so we knew we could do this,” said San Marin senior captain Abigail Brackett, who has committed to play at NCAA Division I Marquette.

Bartholo scored while cutting through traffic to the goalkeeper’s stick side for the winning goal to start the fourth period. Brackett drove home three of her game-high seven goals to cap the victory.“When Abby leaped up to grab that ball and then got that shot, that was incredible,” Brackett said.

Top-seeded San Marin (15-5) will host No. 4 Acalanes in the semifinals on Tuesday. Acalanes hung an 11-9 loss on the Mustangs early in the season.

Alex Chamberlain scored twice for the Mustangs, who also got goals from Lucy Cravens and Peyton Chamberlain.

The teams battled to a 4-4 stalemate in the first period, but the physical Red Devils stepped up their attack while Peyton Chamberlain was on the sideline taping a tender ankle after it gave out on her as she took a penalty shot. University closed out the first half with three goals in 2 minutes for a 9-5 advantage.

San Marin’s defense stepped up in the second half to stall University. A quick transition game and crafty ball control gave the Mustangs the chances they needed as they scored four unanswered goals to tie the game, 9-9. University briefly took a one-goal lead before Cravens scored the equalizer and Bartholo and Brackett scored for San Marin’s 12-10 lead in the third period.