The longtime lacrosse rivalry between neighborhood foes Greenwich Academy and Sacred Heart Greenwich was heading in a similar direction when they tested their skills against each other on April 22, as it was a tight, back-and-forth matchup throughout the first three quarters of intense action.

Then Haley Washall ignited the Tigers’ offense in the fourth quarter.

Washall, a junior midfielder, who is in her first season with the Tigers, scored a game-high six goals, several of which came during the final quarter to power Sacred Heart Greenwich’s Varsity A team to a 9-4 victory over Greenwich Academy’s Varsity A squad.

In a low-scoring first half, featuring terrific defensive play, Sacred Heart Greenwich held a 2-1 lead on GA following the first quarter and led, 3-2, late in the second quarter, before tallying twice late in the quarter. The opportunistic Washall had one of those second-quarter goals for SHG.

The Tigers outscored the Gators, 4-2, in the second half after holding a three-goal halftime advantage.

“We really decided to come out strong in the second half,” Washall said. “We moved the ball well, we moved the ball fast and we were aggressive. They were in a zone, so we talked about spreading out, getting big and bringing the energy more in the second half and coming out strong.”

Sophomore attack Peyla Carcaterra registered one goal and three assists, eighth grader Finley Baras, a midfielder scored one goal and freshman attack Micayla DeVeau added a goal for Sacred Heart, which edged Greenwich Academy, 11-10, in 2025.

“The girls get so worked up for it, so we just needed to get settled,’ SHG head coach Jackie Goldman said. GA is a really well-coached team and they are very athletic and very fast, so we knew it was going to be a battle.”

Greenwich Academy received one goal apiece from Taylor Bruce, senior attack/midfielder Leighton Collier and freshman attack Gray Foster. GA coach Tee Ladouceur lauded her team’s defensive effort against the Tigers.

“Our defense held one of the most high-powered teams in the country to a few goals for three quarters,” Ladouceur said. I think, holding a team with that much fire power to two goals for that long – at some point, they’re going to find the holes. We have to make sure offensively that we have our teammates’ backs and we’re finding the net on the other end.”

SHG received a combined effort in goal, with Addyson Flinchbaugh playing the first half and sophomore Ella Bacalla seeing action in the second half. The duo combined to make four saves for the Tigers, whose defense was anchored by senior captain Mackenna Kelly, senior captain, Casey Smith, senior Torin Witek, junior Addison Callaway, senior Scarlett Pfistner, sophomore Genevieve Dimitri and several other athletes.

“It came down to possessions, finishing on attack,” Goldmann noted. “Our defense played really well. Until the last second of the game, we held them to three goals. Overall, it was a great team effort.”

With the score tied at 1-1, Washall tallied, giving SHG a 2-1 edge with 40.2 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Carcaterra tallied off a dodge with 8:40 to go in the second quarter, making it 3-1 in favor of the Tigers. A goal off a free position attempt by Foster pulled GA to within 3-2 at the 4:11 mark of the second period.

Flinchbaugh made a key save off a GA 8-meter shot late in the second quarter, keeping Sacred Heart ahead, 3-2, heading into halftime, which saw both squads have their moments.

“It was a rivalry game, so I thought everyone was having fun,” Washall noted. “Everyone knows GA is always going to be a close game. They played great and we really brought the energy. We came out hyped, a bunch of fans were here, so that was great.”

A man-down goal put the Tigers on top, 4-2, with 5:15 left in the third quarter. Then, in the final minute of the third frame, Washall tallied in transition, showcasing her speed and giving the visitors a 5-2 advantage going into the final quarter.

The fourth quarter began with Washall scooping up a ground ball off a shot that deflected off GA sophomore goalie Lauren Connell and snapping it into the net, giving SHG a 6-2 lead 59 seconds into the quarter.

With Sacred Heart focusing on its settled offense against Greenwich Academy’s zone, Washall generated another goal, scoring from inside with 10:14 remaining, giving the Tigers a 7-2 lead. She shot low and scored again at the 8:25 mark of the fourth stanza, making it an 8-2 game.

“Haley is a dream to coach,” Goldmann said. “She’s a team player, she works hard on the circle, she comes up with all these 50/50’s – her stick work, her IQ, all of the above. She rocked it today, but she rocks it every day. We’re lucky to have her. She’s new to the team this year.”

“We had some opportunities we didn’t finish off early and then we started finishing off those opportunities in the second half,” Goldmann added.

Washall, who shot 6-for-6 for the game, also came up with five draw controls, while senior midfielder Georgia Lillis had two draw controls for SHG. Freshman Lily Sullivan excelled at taking the draws for Sacred Heart, which is captained by Kelly and Smith.

Greenwich Academy scored its third goal of the matchup with 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter. Enright tallied in the final second of play for GA’s fourth goal.

Sacred Heart capitalized on its possession time advantage.

“Draws were a big factor, we were doing everything we could to mess with it a little and try to figure that piece out,” Ladouceur noted. “But kudos to them, that No. 20, she’s a great draw taker – it was like a chess match all game and they kind of figured it out at the end.”

“When you’re going to chase them out at the end, it’s a tough thing to do against a team that can catch and throw the ball well,” Ladouceur continued. “I’m proud of the girls for their fight.”

Greenwich Academy visits Hopkins School for an FAA game on Monday (April 27), then hosts Taft School on Wednesday (April 29th). The Gators, who are captained by seniors Maggie Whidden Reese Quinn, are currently 4-0 in the Fairchester Athletic Association.

“The message in the last timeout they (Sacred Heart) called was that we had a 10-minute lapse in this game, it doesn’t define who we are as players and it doesn’t define this whole game,” Ladouceur noted. “Let’s go out and do the things that we work on all day and keep the foot on the medal moving forward for the rest of the year.”

With the victory, its fifth straight, Sacred Heart improved its record to 6-2, going into their April 24th game against Good Counsel at Towson University in Maryland. The Tigers are in action today against Notre Dame Prep, also at Towson University.

SHG plays Rye Country Day School at home on April 28th.

Washall said of the team’s play against GA: “Our draws were great, the defense came up with a bunch of great ground balls and the goalies were amazing.”