The Boston Guard and California Palms took the field in Charlotte Saturday afternoon for the first of two meetings this WLL season. With both teams coming in at 0-1 in a four-game regular season, the stakes were already crucial. The losing team would find themselves with relatively slim odds of making the inaugural WLL Championship Game in mid-August. The Guard took an 11-7 halftime lead on the heels of a seven-goal second quarter. However, the Palms rallied in the second half, outscoring the Guard 10-4 over the final 24 minutes for a 17-15 victory to improve to 1-1. The Guard fall to 0-2, but more importantly suffered an additional devastating loss, as star attacker Charlotte North went down late in the game with a lower body injury.
The Palms, who were without the services of top draft pick Madison Taylor, were led by a trio of ladies recording five points each. Ally Mastroianni (4g, 1a), Emma LoPinto (3g, 2a), and Jill Smith (2g, 3a), each of who played key roles in the second half comeback. Ellie Masera added a hat trick, and goaltender Taylor Moreno made 13 saves on the day. LoPinto currently leads the WLL in scoring with 11 points (7g, 4a) in two games. The Palms also took advantage of undisciplined play by the Guard, scoring three times on the power play.
Guard find themselves with no margin for error
Top performers for the Guard were North (4g, 2a), Rachel Clark (4g, 1a), Andie Aldave (2g), and Kenzie Kent (1g, 1a). Maddie Epke dominated California at the faceoff dot, winning 23 of 29 Draw Controls and picking up a game-high 16 Ground Balls. Shea Dolce made 11 saves in the Boston net in the loss. North scored two of her goals late in the third quarter and early in the fourth before suffering the injury, which was non-contact.
Aside from the second loss and North’s injury, the Guard may face a third whammy: they now effectively enter a six-week break from play, not counting All-Star Weekend festivities in early July. Boston does not return to WLL play until July 17, when they face the Maryland Charm in what will be the Charm’s fourth and final regular season game. Following that matchup, they have another two weeks off before a rematch with the Palms on August 8, a week before the Championship Game.
While the extended breaks will give North time to heal (assuming the injury is not season-ending), Boston will need to win both of their remaining games, and hope that outcomes of other games lead to a potential four-way tie at 2-2. Further complicating matters is their goal differential, currently worst in the league at minus-7. This means the Guard will need to win their remaining games by significant enough margins to lift them into first or second place in order to advance to the Championship Game.
