Old Lyme - The Old Lyme girls' lacrosse team had a chance late in the final minute during the first half Monday to cut its deficit to two goals, but couldn't convert.

Old Saybrook junior Molly Beck got the ball, charged downfield and, after looking over her shoulder to check the clock, fired the ball from about a quarter-length of the field.

Beck's shot went in with 1.9 seconds left in the half.

Beck finished with a game-high eight goals as unbeaten Old Saybrook downed the Wildcats 15-11 in the Shoreline Conference.

"I wasn't trying to score," Beck said. "I was trying to pass it (to teammate Gabby Rose)."

"Unlucky," Old Lyme coach Emily Macione said. "Just completely unlucky. We've got to be ready for all things when we're on the field and that's one of the things that we talked about at halftime. Even if someone is throwing the ball from midfield, you never know when it's going to bounce towards the goal or in the goal. We've just got to be 100 percent alert.

"I think my players and especially the goalie (Meredith Britton) realize that was more unlucky than anything else."

The Rams (8-0, 5-2) are ranked second in the laxpower.com Class S computer rankings. They're the only team that's beaten the Wildcats this season.

Rose had three goals and an assist for Old Saybrook, while Kori Salvietti scored twice. Paige Gumkowski and Lizzie O'Brien each had a goal.

Allie Buckley had four assists for the Wildcats (5-2, 2-2) and Sloane Sweitzer had three goals. Catie Quaratella and Julia Strycharz both scored twice. Fiona Barrett, Sydney Cowell and Liz Scott each added a goal.

Old Lyme fell behind early in the game and was unable to either tie or take the lead.

Beck had back-to-back goals to give the Rams a 3-2 lead more than five minutes into the game. Rose and Salvietti padded the lead at 5-2.

Sweitzer scored with over a minute left in the half to cut the Wildcats' deficit to 8-5.

Beck answered with her long strike.

Old Lyme gradually clawed back in the second half. Strycharz scored on a Buckley assist with 3 minutes, 27 seconds left to cut the Wildcats' deficit to 12-11.

Old Saybrook pulled away with three goals in the final 2:15.

"We tried different defensive schemes that did necessarily pan out like we were hoping to when we strategized about it (Sunday)," Macione said. "So in the second half, we went back to the defense that we typically play. That seemed to work a little bit for a while, but they're quick and they got some good goals."

n.griffen@theday.com