By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher LINWOOD — The Mainland Regional girls lacrosse team came into the opening round of the South Jersey Group 3 tournament as a No. 8 seed. Through the first 15 minutes, the Mustangs looked more like a No. 1 seed. Mainland sprinted out to a 9-2 lead, led 11-5 at halftime, and cruised to a 17-8 win over ninth-seeded Toms River South, winning its first home playoff game ever in the process. Senior Ashley Albright scored all five of her goals in the first half, and sophomore standout Megan Bozzi added eight more as the Mustangs (16-3) had their way with the Indians (15-4). For their efforts, the Stangs now get to travel to Moorestown on Tuesday to take on the top-seeded Quakers, one of the powerhouses of New Jersey girls lacrosse. Catherine Samara and the Mainland defense limited the Indians to just three second-half goals. Catherine Samara and the Mainland defense limited the Indians to just three second-half goals. “I contacted one of my friends to ask her about this team because she plays together with some of them. She said (Toal) was their best scorer. We knew if we could shut her down we would have an opportunity to get a lead,” Albright said. “I was kind of surprised (with the early lead) because I thought it was going to be more of a back-and-forth game. Our defense rocks. They are the game savers, just as much as our goalie. She really won the game for us. She’s going to be great as the years go on.” Molly O’Shea finished with two goals and three assists, as Mainland got all of its scoring from four players. Kacee Boyd led the Indians with four goals and Nina Shirey added two. Daley said she knows the odds are stacked against her team against Moorestown in the next round, but the Mustangs aren’t shying away from the challenge. “We’re going to go out and play exactly the way we did today. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain up there,” Daley said. “This will be our third time up there, and I’m looking forward to it. Each year we get better and better against them, and someday I’m hoping we can be at that level.” “(Winning today) is a great feeling. It’s great to continue my senior season, because it’s going to be pretty upsetting once it’s over,” Albright said. “I’m excited. It’s definitely going to be a challenge up there, but it’s going to be a great experience.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]