Holy Name pulls away from Buckeye girls lacrosse, 16-1

Holy Name controlled the draw circle from the opening whistle and turned that possession edge into a 16-1 win over Buckeye on Thursday night at Buckeye High School’s Soccer and Track Complex.

The decisive stretch came over the course of the first half, when Holy Name’s repeated draw control kept the Bucks pinned in the defensive end and under constant pressure. Buckeye’s defense still made the visitors work for chances early, forcing difficult looks and relying on strong play in goal to keep the game from getting away immediately. Leah Droes delivered several of the night’s best stops, including a handful in traffic, and her footwork showed through as she turned away shots with her feet. Grace Kappele and Droes combined for 14 SV for Buckeye.

Buckeye’s lone breakthrough came in the second half, when Mya Galdun created it herself. After a turnover, Galdun took off in the open field, fought through double teams and finished for the Bucks’ only goal. Galdun paced Buckeye’s attack with 1 G on 4 S. Hailey Baisden, Molly Danilovic, Natalie Clark and Andreea Ghise also put shots on goal as Buckeye found more chances after halftime and began to move the ball forward with more consistency.

Holy Name’s depth also showed as the game wore on. With reserves rotating in and constant substitutions available, the sustained draw success gradually wore down Buckeye’s defense. Even so, the Bucks continued to compete for loose possessions and showed better traction at the draw circle later in the game, which helped generate a few more attacking sequences. The finishing touch never fully arrived, but Buckeye’s effort remained steady throughout the second half.

Ground-ball work was one of the clearest bright spots for the Bucks. Hailey Baisden, Lillian Ames, Molly Danilovic, Natalie Clark, Mya Galdun, Grace Kappele, Bianka Peters, Grace Hatfield, Reagan Kurilec, Leah Droes, Jocelyn Budi and Ella Conway all contributed in the GB battle, helping Buckeye extend possessions and relieve pressure. In a game shaped heavily by draw control, those extra efforts around the ball and the 14 SV in goal stood out as Buckeye kept competing until the final whistle.