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Girls’ lacrosse regional finals: Kennebunk edges Falmouth in Class B West
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Western B girls’ lacrosse: Kennebunk edges Falmouth in final
The Rams head to the state championship for the first time since 2009.Kennebunk’s Hailey Fecko and Falmouth’s Elizabeth Goodrich battle for a loose ball during Wednesday’s Western Class B girls’ lacrosse final at Falmouth. Kennebunk won, 9-7.FALMOUTH — Having lost by a goal in two straight regional girls’ lacrosse finals, Kennebunk High knew a quick start was needed Wednesday in the Western Class B championship game against top-ranked Falmouth.
“We knew we had to prove to them that we were in it to win it from the very beginning, and I definitely think the first five minutes of each half is arguably the most important part because it sets the tone for the rest of the game,” Kennebunk midfielder Kyra Schwartzman said.
The Rams scored four unanswered goals in just over two minutes of the first half and two lead-increasing goals to start the second half. Then they slowed it at the end to preserve a 9-7 victory.
Second-seeded Kennebunk (14-1) advances to Saturday’s 6 p.m. state final at Fitzpatrick Stadium against defending champion Yarmouth (11-4).
Kennebunk has never won a girls’ lacrosse state title, losing in the 2008 and 2009 games.
“We beat them early in the season and (Yarmouth) always gets better as the season goes on but you know what, I think we’ve gotten a lot better as the season went on,” Kennebunk Coach Annie Barker said.
Rams midfielder Jenny Bush converted a free-position shot for the first goal just 33 seconds into the game. Schwartzman, Olivia Sandford and Bush converted on pretty passing plays from Gabby Fogg, Schwartzman, and Carly Sandler for a 4-0 lead that expanded to 6-1.
Falmouth (12-2), which beat Kennebunk in the regular season, cut the halftime deficit to 7-4, with Leigh Bernardy scoring twice.
Schwartzman took charge early in the second half. She set up Sandford for one goal, then converted herself on a pass from Sandler. Schwartzman, Sandford and Bush each scored three goals for Kennebunk.
Kennebunk’s defense was also critical. Bella Kudas made four of her six saves early in the second half and Falmouth also hit the post twice.
The Yachtsmen did score three straight goals as Kennebunk began to struggle to clear the ball. Bell’s second goal of the game with 5:26 left cut Kennebunk’s lead to 9-7.
Kennebunk secured the win by stalling in its offensive end for nearly all of the final four minutes with Fogg and Schwartzman doing most of the work.
“We just ran out of time. That’s why I think there should be a shot clock in girls’ lacrosse,” Falmouth Coach Kait Johnson said. “We took some bad shots, right at the goalie. It’s on us. I think we are 100 percent the No. 1 team in this conference and if we play them again, we beat them.”
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Eastern B girls’ lacrosse: Yarmouth beats Freeport in regional final
The Clippers will meet Kennebunk for the state championship on Saturday.YARMOUTH — After losing three of its first four games, it looked like the Yarmouth girls’ lacrosse team wouldn’t get a chance to defend its Class B championship.
But Wednesday night, the second-seeded Clippers completed their romp through the East regional by rolling to a 15-7 win against No. 3 Freeport.
Yarmouth will play Kennebunk, a 10-7 winner over the Clippers on May 5, for the state title at 6 p.m. Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium.
“This team is young and hungry,” Yarmouth Coach Dorothy Holt said. “It took us a while to get everybody in the right positions. We’re a little bit of a different team than everybody saw in the beginning of the season.”
In their three playoff games in the regional tournament, the Clippers outscored their opponents, 56-9.
Yarmouth, which won seven of its final eight games during the regular season, held a 12-2 lead over the Falcons at the end of the half.
“We came out with a ton of energy,” said Shannon Fallon, a senior attacker who scored eight goals and had four assists.
“Our coach has been telling us to come off the draw with a lot of energy and just play Yarmouth lacrosse, and I think we did that today and just executed really well in the first half.”
The Clippers (11-4) did everything well.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more from my team,” Holt said. “Seriously, they were executing the fast break and they were clearing the ball up the field as beautifully as I’ve seen this season. They’ve come together, and it really shows.”
It took Freeport (8-7) the first 32 minutes of the game to get going offensively. Five of its goals came during the final 18 minutes.
“Unfortunately, it took us a little too long to figure out what works and what doesn’t work,” said Freeport Coach Marcia Wood. “We were too sloppy in the beginning and with a team like Yarmouth you can’t be sloppy.”
Yarmouth goalies Mary Kate Gunville, the sophomore starter, and Sarah Kirk, her junior backup, played well.
Gunville made eight saves, four of them on free-position shots.
“(Freeport) had opportunities, and they have great shooters,” Fallon said, “but Mary Kate has been doing an amazing job all season. Her positioning has been great and her confidence has gone up.”
Kirk, who played the first five minutes of the second half, made three saves and didn’t allow a goal.
Lane Simsarian scored four goals for the Clippers. Lilly Watson scored two goals and had two assists. Emma Torres scored a goal.
Emily Johnson scored three goals for Freeport. Chloe Davidson scored two goals and had an assist. Lily Johnston and Lizzy Martin each had a goal. Courtney Broderick had an assist.
The Clippers took a 10-goal lead with four minutes left in the first half to put the game into running time and maintained that edge for the first 22 minutes of the second half before the Falcons rallied to close the gap.
“The good thing about this team is no matter what (my players) never give up,” Wood said.
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Western A girls’ lacrosse: Marshwood wins first regional title
The Hawks defeat Scarborough, 16-3SOUTH BERWICK — Lindsey Poirier scored seven goals as second-seeded Marshwood dominated fourth-seeded Scarborough 16-3 to capture its first Western Class A girls’ lacrosse title.
“We were working on that, as far as isolating (Poirier),” said Marshwood Coach Bernie Marvin. “All seven (offensive players) can shoot and score down there so we were waiting for the slides but they never came so she had the green light.”
Poirier was a freshman the last time Marshwood (12-3) played in the Western Class A championship game, a loss to Scarborough.
Poirier, a senior, also lost to Scarborough this year in the Western A final in field hockey. Poirier enjoyed every last second of the revenge.
“Freshman year we didn’t really know what we were doing quite yet,” said Poirier. “But finishing it off and winning our senior year is amazing. And to do it with this team is out of this world.”
Poirier also chipped in with three assists.
“We’ve worked so hard to be here and I couldn’t be more proud. I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Poirier.
Hannah Costin scored five goals and Korinne Bohunsky added three goals for the Hawks.
“I was very nervous before the game,” said Costin. “Probably the most nervous I’ve ever been. But whenever I get onto the field and hear the first whistle, I try to keep calm. That’s what I did, I kept calm and collected and scored some.”
“It feels really good and we won as a team which is even better,” Bohunsky said. “Everyone was a part of it, from the bench all the way through. It was a beautiful thing.”
Scarborough finished 10-6.
With 10:25 left in the first half and Marshwood ahead 2-0, Scarborough goalie Sammi Shoebottom made what could have been a momentum-shifting save. Poirier busted out on a breakaway and had a great shot attempt up high but Shoebottom made a better save, getting her stick on the shot and deflecting it over the top of the net.
“That was an insane save,” said Poirier.
But just 40 seconds later, Poirier carried the ball across the middle from left to right and buried her shot short side to put the Hawks up 3-0.
“Our ride is awesome, our attack rides hard all through our midfield,” said Poirier. “To get the ball back that quickly and to capitalize is awesome.”
The Hawks continued rolling from there and scored five more goals to close out the half with an 8-1 lead.
Emily Kahler was terrific in net for Marshwood, making 11 saves.
“I have to give a lot (of credit) to my defense,” said Kahler. “I don’t see as many shots as any other team does because I have a fantastic defense who is always there and always helping out. The shots (other teams) do take – they force bad shots. That makes it easy one me, makes me look good.”
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Eastern A girls’ lacrosse: Messalonskee tops Portland to win title
The top-seeded Eagles play for the state championship SaturdayWATERVILLE — Top-ranked Messalonskee led most of the way, then survived a late push from third-seeded Portland to win the Eastern Class A girls’ lacrosse title Wednesday with an 11-8 victory at Thomas College.
It was the first regional lacrosse title in the 15-year history of the Messalonskee program. The Eagles (14-1) will meet Marshwood (12-3) in the state final at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
“We were just very ready,” said Nathalie St. Pierre, who had four goals and an assist for Messalonskee, from the Waterville suburb of Oakland. “We knew we had a great chance at winning this game. We didn’t want to come home with another runner-up plaque.”
“It’s been a long time coming but it’s time to bring that Eastern Maine championship a little bit farther north,” added Coach Ashley Pullen, who played on Messalonskee’s first varsity team in 2000.
Portland (9-6) ended its strongest year, reaching the regional final by beating second-seeded Mt. Ararat 10-9 in double overtime and sixth-ranked Cheverus 16-15 in four overtimes.
“We made it two rounds further than we’ve ever made it before. This is the best program Portland lacrosse has ever seen and they should all be really proud of themselves,” Coach Cameron McManus said.
“We have a plaque to show that this team put it all out there and really brought our program to the next level. The bar has been raised for next year.”
The Bulldogs didn’t go quietly.
India Languet’s goal after 1:24 sparked a streak of three unanswered scores and the Eagles led 7-3 by halftime. The lead ballooned to as much as 11-5 on Ally Turner’s goal with 2:14 left before Portland made its final push.
Isabel Stehli, Ella Coose and Lauren McIntyre scored in a 1:20 span to cut it to three, but the Eagles won the ensuing draw and ran out the clock.
“I’m really proud of how the girls ended the game,” McManus said. “They could have put their heads down and been out of it early in the second half, but they stuck with it.”
Draws proved a major asset for Messalonskee, which held a 14-7 advantage on draw controls, which allowed it to limit Portland’s fast breaks.
“We knew that was going to be coming, so we tried to be as ready as we could for it. Obviously it’s a great tool that they have and they execute it very well,” Pullen said of the Bulldogs’ transitions. “The idea was to minimize the damage that they did that way, and we successfully did that by having control of the ball and having possession.”
When in a set offense, the Eagles relied on balanced scoring. Languet, Lauren Pickett and Lydia Dexter each finished with two goals, and Turner also had four assists.
Coose paced Portland with three goals and an assist, and Merritt Ryan had a pair of scores and an assist, including the 100th goal of her career with 14:42 left in the first half. Liz Victor had a strong game for the Bulldogs, finishing with 12 saves.
“Merritt’s a great player we’re so pumped to have her again next year,” McManus said. “Where we’re really going to feel the loss is a big senior class, obviously. I’m not sure what we have coming in, but those are going to be the big shoes to fill for sure.”
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