With Caroline Nozzolillo in command, No. 3 Westwood girls' lacrosse controls No. 2 Cohasset
Nozzolillo had it — not just on this play, but all game — and she burst past two defenders, hesitated for a half-second, and finished high in traffic. The goal, her fifth of the game, proved to be the dagger in a 14-11 triumph for the
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No. 2 Cohasset (10-2) didn't make it easy, coming back from several sizable deficits, but Nozzolillo, a Brown-bound senior, helped put the finishing touches on a signature victory for Westwood (14-1).
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'It's great having her believe in me,' Nozzolillo said of Spatola. 'That gives me all the confidence in the world to know that I can go and finish the shot.'
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Big goal from Caroline Nozzolillo to make it 14-11 Westwood with 2:45 remaining
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Hofstra-bound senior Cece Thurmond added four goals for Westwood, which hasn't dropped a game in-state.
UMass-bound junior Kate Greer and Bucknell-bound junior Avery Regan paced the No. 2 Skippers (10-2) with three goals apiece. Reese Hansen, Libby Schiffman, and Emily Regan also contributed for Cohasset.
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Westwood built a 5-3 edge through one quarter, led 8-7 at halftime, and surged ahead, 12-8, through three. The Wolverines were up 13-8 with 7:20 left, but the Skippers never relented.
After 3Q: Westwood 12, Cohasset 8
Strong defensive quarter from the Wolverines, plus a goal from Kate Sullivan here. Caroline Nozzolillo dictating the action from behind the net.
Libby Schiffman active for the Skippers
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
'I feel like we were always chasing today, instead of playing proactively,' Cohasset coach Kara Connerty said. 'We talk about that a lot. We made adjustments, but the adjustments didn't come quickly enough.'
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Charlotte DeMaio, Nozzolillo, and Jenny Mackin hustled on draws to help Westwood find a rhythm. Pinpoint alley-oops from Nozzolillo to Thurmond proved lethal, as well. Goalie Kathryn Donnellan provided a steady presence, Kate Sullivan stood her ground defensively, and Nozzolillo was always in command.
Hofstra-bound senior Cece Thurmond finishes the 'alley-oop' from Brown-bound Caroline Nozzolillo, then Nozzolillo adds another. 2-0 Westwood early
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Spatola endearingly said that though Nozzolillo is 'a knucklehead' at times, she loves her and wants her on her side.
'There are days where maybe it's not her best day, and I may tell her that's not yours to take, pull it out, whatever,' Spatola said. 'But most days are her days, and I trust her with it. Her teammates trust her as well.'
Trevor Hass can be reached at
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