For a team that has been to the Division 4 girls lacrosse state championship game in each of the last two seasons, Ipswich High is certainly looking like it wants to return for another shot at capturing a state title.
Seeded second in the playoff draw, the Tigers have blown out each of their first two postseason foes. Tuesday night at Jack Welch Field they easily dispatched of visiting Fairhaven, 13-1, in a second round clash.
Ella McCarthy, a freshman, paced the scoring attack with four goals and three assists for Ipswich. Junior Allie Wile, the team’s leading goal scorer, added to her total with five more tallies as well as one assist.
Lyla Greenleaf, another junior and, like Wile, a First Team Cape Ann League all-star this season, added one goal and one assist in the IHS victory.
Single scores came from Ella Schofield, Keira McPartlin and captain Lucy Winthrop.
Senior goaltender Emma Paquette didn’t face many shots, but stood tall when asked to by making three saves.
Now 16-2 on the season, the Tigers will play one final home game in the Division 4 quarterfinals. There, they’ll take on a familiar foe in Cape Ann League rival Pentucket at a date and time to be determined. The Panthers of Pentucket (17-5), the No. 7 seed, were defeated by Ipswich in their only meeting of the season, 10-5.