Heritage girls lacrosse team outlasts Liberty, 18-13

Heritage goalkeeper Addie Walker finds an opening and moves around the Liberty defense. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

By Paige Mendez, Correspondent

The Heritage High girls lacrosse team scored an 18-13 victory over crosstown rival Liberty Monday night in a league game heading toward the end of their regular season.

The matchup was the third of the season between the two teams and the outcome ended the same, but the game itself was pretty different.

The Patriots started off with an 8-2 lead in the first half. Three of those eight goals were put in by senior Cassidy Shaw. Liberty's two goals were from Giovanna Rizzo.

Coming in from the half, Liberty's head coach, Alisa Wargo, said it seemed like her team was more prepared than at the start of the game.

"They have a tendency to get way stronger in the second half," said Wargo. "It feels like they learn how to play the first half against whatever team we're playing and then they come out and play with more fire in the second."

That fire showed in the 11 goals they scored in the final 25 minutes, three of which came in the first three minutes. Rizzo was responsible for one of those Bison goals, while Mariah Broyles was the scorer of the other two.

Thanks to Heritage's goalie, Addie Walker, and her eight saves on the night, the Patriots were able to lean on their early lead, despite Liberty's rally.

"Liberty definitely outplayed us in the second half a little bit and had a little more momentum," said Heritage head coach Michael Mattison. "But with our decent lead it wasn't too stressful and we were able to stay relaxed."

Their relaxed play resulted in 10 second-half goals from the Patriots. Sophomore Amerie Cisneros started those off just over a minute into the half and Isabella Chevez put in the next two, which were followed by one from Anastacia Martinez – all of this happening in just the first five minutes of the second half.

"We were for sure worried," said Martinez of the second-half lull she and her team found themselves in while Liberty was working on their highest scoring game all season. "We kind of had to wake up again, and I think that was good. This is the most goals I've scored in a game, so I feel good about that."

Although the Bison had an answer for some of the Patriot goals throughout the remainder of the game -- two goals from Paige Rash, one from Victoria Lugo and four more from Rizzo -- the Patriots were far enough ahead that the game ended in their favor.

Martinez and Makenna Suarez led Heritage with four goals apiece, while Danica Doskocil put three in the net, along with Shaw. Chevez and Cisneros each totaled two goals in the game.

Both teams only have two games left on their schedule, which is the first varsity lacrosse schedule the schools have ever completed.

"Our hopes at the beginning of the season were to win just one game," Mattison said (his team is now 9-4 overall on the year). "We've exceeded our expectations and hope to win league."

"Don't underestimate us," Martinez said, looking forward to her next two games. "We have a lot of determined people on this team and we want the best."

The Patriots will head to Paloma Valley next Tuesday before one last home game Thursday against Poly.

Amerie Cisneros (center) fires a shot that goes for a goal for Heritage in the second half. (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 A Liberty offensive player moves past Heritage opponent Hannah Hill (Photo by Rick Rowell)

 Isabella Chevez moves in close for a Heritage goal in the second half. (Photo by Rick Rowell)