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Windham Jaguars Girls Lacrosse '14

Tue, Jun 10, 2014 07:00 PM @ Windham
Team 1 2 Final
Bedford 12 7 19
Windham 7 5 12

Bedford ends Windham's 2-year title run

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Tuesday, June, 17 By Christopher Smith

HOOKSETT, N.H. — Windham, the two-time defending Division 3 champion, knew it wouldn’t cruise to this year’s title when it moved up to Division 2.

The Jaguars were returning several top players, including five Division 3 first-team selections, but they knew that by playing in a stronger division they’d face stronger competition.

“We came in this year thinking we were going to make the final four,” senior Melissa Cino said. “Our thought was that if we got to the final four, we’d see what happens from there. We surpassed all our expectations — made it to the final four and made it to the championship.”

Windham’s two-year title run ended yesterday with a 19-12 loss to Bedford in the Division 2 title game here at Southern New Hampshire University in front of 441. Hofstra recruit Drew Shapiro erupted for 10 goals in the win.

The loss shouldn’t overshadow what Cino and her fellow seniors accomplished the past four years. Cino in particular, is graduating with the most career assists (338) ever by a girls high school lacrosse player in this nation. She trumped the previous record (289) and tallied five assists and added two goals yesterday.

Cino began playing lacrosse in the second grade. Her dad Paul Cino played lacrosse at West Point where he was a two-time All-American.

“He played the exact position I play and played the exact way I play it, so I learned from him,” Cino said. “And from then on, that’s the game I’ve played.”

Cino also is second and third all-time nationally in assists in one season. Her 120 assists last year put her second on the list and her 113 assists this year is good for third.

“I hold assist records, not goal records,” she said. “I don’t think I have any goal records. But I can’t get the assists without my team. I think my team really sets me up to give a good pass and I just look good.”

Cino will attend Endicott College where she will not play any sports. She plans to major in business management and minor in event management.

She also starred on the Windham volleyball team, finishing her career with 1,428 assists, which is good for fifth all-time in New Hampshire.

She will be honored at Windham’s spring sports awards ceremony today at 5:30 p.m. at Windham High.

“With Melissa, all her records are so unselfish — that’s the complete, total player that she is,” Windham lacrosse and volleyball coach Jill Bartlett said. “She works hard on the court, on the field. She’s just an assist machine. And she sets the tone for the level of play.”

In four years, this senior group posted an impressive 60-13 record in girls lacrosse.

“Our seniors are just an outstanding group of young ladies,” Bartlett said. “They’re spirited, they’re together, they’re supportive. They have done everything for the right reasons of being unselfish to making sure they’re better players.”

Windham was the tourney’s top seed and Bedford was seeded third but Bedford won 16-14 over Windham when the two schools met during the regular season.

How are the Jags (15-3) planning to celebrate this season?

“I believe it’s Monday we have a big lacrosse banquet where we all come together and look at the highlights from this season and thank the coaches and take it from there,” Cino said.

Bedford 19, Windham 12

Division 2 State Final

Goals: W — Ali Connors 4, Alexandra Lewis 2, Melissa Cino 2, Hope Curtis 2, Courtney Sweeny 2; B — Drew Shapiro 10, Kennedy Boyle 4, Makayla Sterling 2, Kelsey Linehan, Meghan Lussier, Sawyer Biron

Assists: W — Cino 5, Sweeny, Connors, Emma Lindquist; B — Linehan 4, Shapiro, Sterling, Boyle

Saves: W — Tori Cipollone 5; B — Ashley Maddox 7

Bedford (16-3): 12 7 — 19

Windham (15-3):  7 5 — 12

Game Statistics:

Goals: W — Alexandra Lewis 2, Ali Connors 4, Melissa Cino 2, Hope Curtis 2, Courtney Sweeny 2; B — Kennedy Boyle 4, Drew Shapiro 10, Kelsey Linehan, Makayla Sterling 2, Meghan Lussier, Sawyer Biron 

Assists: W — Cino 5, Sweeny, Connors, Emma Lindquist; B — Shapiro, Sterling, Linehan 4, Boyle 

Saves: W — Tori Cipollone 5  B — Ashley Maddox 7

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