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Swampscott stops Salem in OT

A fluky goal with 36 seconds left in overtime was the only thing that could stop the Salem boys lacrosse team's second half run last night.

Powered by Salem senior Frank Lento, the Witches erased a six-goal second half deficit to force overtime, only to lose 11-10 when Swampscott capitalized on a failed clear.

Salem goalie Stan Goodwin's clearing attempt was batted down, which resulted in a one-on-one to end the game.

"It was a broken play," Salem coach Mark Higley said. "Our goalie made a big save and tried to clear the ball. The kid just threw his stick up and knocked it down."

Lento was a man possessed for Salem, scoring seven goals and dishing out a pair of assists. Griffin Phelan scored two goals and had one assist, and Mike Doherty pitched in one goal and two assists. Goodwin was sharp for Salem, stopping 12 shots.

"We had a ton of opportunities to win it. We had nine man-up opportunities and only scored twice," said Higley, whose team slipped to 0-2. "They played really well too. At halftime they were leading in ground balls like 22-7. That was one of the things we said to focus on (in the second half). We stayed focused on the little things and made the comeback. We can learn a lot from that game and only get better from it."

Senior Bismark Lugo was also a standout for the Witches.