AUBURN — The Lewiston boys lacrosse team regrouped for the second half.
With the game tied at 5-5 at halftime, the Blue Devils scored eight unanswered goals in the final 24 minutes for a 13-5 victory at Walton Field.
“Things started to fall together and they realized EL wasn’t going to roll over and give us the (win),” Lewiston coach Ben Fournier said. “They were going to keep battling. (We) picked up the hustle and the intensity.”
Edward Little (1-7) took a hit early in the third quarter when senior attacker Tyler Smith — who scored two goals in the first half — suffered an injury and didn’t return to the game.
Edward Little coach Tom Smith said Lewiston (4-5) made adjustments with Tyler Smith off the field.
“We couldn’t get a whole lot of offense going and (Lewiston’s) defense really tightened up, specifically on our top players (Wesley and Andrew Clements),” Tom Smith said.
Lewiston sophomore attacker Cody Dionne scored his third goal of the game midway through the third quarter, with Eli Bigelow recording the assist, to give the Blue Devils a 6-5 lead.
“We entered the third quarter knowing the game was tied, and the first goal was going to set the pace in the second half,” Dionne said. “It was a huge goal for us.”
Freshman Colton Daniels put Lewiston up 7-5 later in the third.
Dionne added to his goal total early in the fourth quarter to put Lewiston up 8-5. Daven Langelier had the assist. Dionne scored another goal later in the final period to finish the game with five goals.
Dionne said he got help from his teammates on Tuesday.
“It was more of a team effort; it’s not a one-man show,” Dionne said.
Daniels scored twice in the fourth quarter while Jackson Bement added a goal.
Lewiston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter when Dionne fired two shots past Red Eddies goalie Daulton David (nine saves) in the first four minutes.
“Cody did really well for us today,” Fournier said. “He’s been a guy who has been stepping it up all year for us. He’s only a sophomore; it’s impressive the amount (of work) he takes on his shoulders every day.”
Langelier extended the lead to 3-0 just past the five-minute mark of the first quarter.
The teams traded goals in a 16-second span, starting when Wesley Clements put the Red Eddies on the board at the 11:06 mark of the first quarter. Liam Hutchinson scored for Lewiston at the 11:22 mark to extend the Blue Devils’ lead to 4-1.
Tyler Smith scored his first goal for the Red Eddies to cut the deficit to 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Smith’s goal sparked a four-goal run for Edward Little. Clements and Smith each scored their second goals of the game to tie the contest at 4-4 early in the second quarter.
Austin Sellinger gave the Red Eddies their first lead at the four-minute mark of the second quarter, beating Lewiston goalie Cooper Kearns (six saves).
“We started (the game) a little slow but the second quarter, we were able to string a couple of goals to be able to be (tied) at halftime,” Tom Smith said.
Bigelow tied the game at 5-5 midway through the second quarter.
Fournier said the hustle the Red Eddies showed in the second quarter hampered the Blue Devils’ offense.
“EL, they hustle all over the field,” Fournier said. “Wesley Clements, he’s a phenomenal player; that kid has a motor that won’t quit. He gives 100 percent all over the field, just like the rest of those guys.”
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