By Greg Dudek
NEEDHAM – Senior captain Kailey Conry first lent a helping hand. Then, she took on the scoring load by herself.
Conry turned in an impressive performance for the Needham High girls lacrosse team on Wednesday against North Andover, notching four goals and six assists to spark the Rockets to a 13-6 non-league win at Memorial Park.
“I always love to see the fact that she typically has more assists than goals,” said Needham head coach Beth O’Brien. “She helps others around her become open. She’s a very unselfish, smart player and it allows others to step up to the plate. She’s crucial to every part of our game.”
With excellent vision from behind the net, Conry got things going for Needham (5-0) by setting up the offense and assisting on the Rockets’ first four goals of the game.
But Needham couldn’t pull away from the Scarlet Knights until junior Caroline Walsh scored two goals late in the first half to put the Rockets ahead, 6-4, at the break.
Conry and Walsh connected with each other all game, as Conry assisted on four out of Walsh’s five goals.
“They’ve been playing together for so long and they work off each other,” O’Brien said. “They create opportunities. They know where each other are going to be and are very patient about their decisions.”
North Andover cut the lead to one, 6-5, with 22:39 left in the second half on a goal from junior midfielder Olivia Pino (three goals), but Needham broke things open after that scoring six straight goals.
Again, Conry was at the center of it all with four second-half tallies.
Needham’s defense proved pivotal in the second stanza as well, holding the Scarlet Knights to just two goals, as junior goalie Elizabeth Vallatini played stellar in net.
"For (Vallatini) to make some of those key stops it gives confidence to her defense," O'Brien said.