RallyNorth.net

The Pentucket girls lacrosse team isn't the type of group to fold mentally before the first minute even ticks off the clock in a state tournament game.

Even as a lower seeded team yesterday, the No. 14 seed Sachems avoided thoughts of doubt and hesitation in eliminating No. 3 Bishop Fenwick Crusaders (15-3) in the opening round of the EMass. Division 2 North Tournament. After registering a 19-14 victory, Pentucket will play No. 6 Georgetown in the quarterfinal.

Without a doubt, the biggest surprise on the North Shore lacrosse scene has been Fenwick. The program is only two years old, and still the Crusaders have ripped off a 10-2 record. Junior sniper Bridget Dullea is one of the best female athletes on the North Shore and has proven to be a very dangerous scorer.

Age: 16

High school: Bishop Fenwick

Year in school: Junior

Sport: Lacrosse

Position: Center attack and defense

The second-year Bishop Fenwick girls lacrosse team has proven it can win games. Yesterday, the Crusaders showed they are capable of erasing deficits on the way to victory.

Senior captain Casey Otovic rolled around the cage after a restart and scored the game-winner | her only tally of the afternoon | with 25 seconds left as Fenwick improved to 10-0 with 10-9 win over Austin Prep.

The biggest test of the Bishop Fenwick girls lacrosse team's season was passed with flying colors last night.

Playing under the lights on their turf field, Fenwick got six goals from junior scoring machine Bridget Dullea and held off Catholic Central League rival Arlington Catholic, 12-11, in a battle of league unbeatens.

Junior Bridget Dullea racked up seven goals as the Crusaders (8-0) stayed perfect on the season with a 16-6 riumph over Matignon. Rebecca Graves added a hat trick as Fenwick led 9-5 at the half and never let up. Goalie Jill DeFrancesco stopped nine shots while Ellen O'Leary, Amelia Santos and Casey Otovic all chipped in with a pair of goals.

Bridget Dullea had one of those days she will probably never forgot.

"I just kept scoring ... it was ridiculous," the 16-year-old junior attack from Peabody said after reaching an individual milestone with eight goals and one assist as Bishop Fenwick (4-0) held off Gloucester, 12-11, in girls' lacrosse on the Fenwick campus yesterday. Her nine-point flurry was a school mark in addition to the eight strikes.