The Freeport girls lacrosse team entered the 2021 season with lofty championship expectations — and it nearly reached the top.

The Falcons, who went 9-3 in the regular season, reached the Class C title game, where it dropped a tough 9-8 game to Waynflete.

Still, coach Marcia Wood hailed the season as a successful one.

“We learned so much in such a short amount of time,” said Wood, who coached Freeport to its first state title game appearance since 2012, where it also fell to Waynflete. “We loved playing for something in the end, it made it that much more meaningful.”

Freeport defeated St. Dominic’s in the Class C quarterfinals and edged Lake Region in the semifinals before falling to Waynflete.

With almost two years in between spring seasons, it took some time for athletes to find their groove when the season kicked off.

“After having a year off it took a bit to get back into things but I think as the season went on we started to mesh really well,” said Wood.

Wood added that the open tournament format proved to be interesting the spring.

“I don’t think lacrosse had as many upsets as baseball and softball but it was still interesting to see how teams step up at the end of the season,” said Wood.

Elsewhere on the Midcoast, it was a season of new beginnings for the Brunswick lacrosse programs. Longtime assistant Jason Miller replaced boys coach Don Glover, who retired after the 2019 season. Former Brunswick standout and 2015 graduate EmaLeigh Aschbrenner took over the girls program prior to the start of the season.

Both teams ultimately fell to Greely in the Class B playoffs.

Greely’s Elsa Dean-Muncie evades Brunswick’s Chloe Coombs during a game earlier this month in Brunswick. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

The boys finished as the No. 2 seed in Class B but dropped a tough decision to No. 10 Greely in the state quarterfinals on June 12. The No. 7 Brunswick girls fell later that afternoon to the second-seeded Rangers, who would go on to reach the state title game.

“This was a great season for us despite it ending abruptly,” said Miller after Brunswick’s loss to Greely. “This group of boys made this a great season and made my first one as head coach a memorable one.”

The Mt. Ararat lacrosse teams played its home games at McMann Complex in Bath. Despite having no “true” home field, there were plenty of improvements made throughout the season.

The boys finished No. 14 in Class B, but gave No. 3 Mt. Blue a scare in the first round of the open playoff tournament, falling 8-7.

The girls were much more steady and competitive throughout the season, earning the No. 6 seed and a home playoff game against No. 11 Lawrence, which they won 12-2.

The Eagles were eliminated by No. 3 Messalonskee in the quarterfinals, 11-8.

It was a rebuilding year for both Morse programs. The boys finished No. 16 in Class B before dropping a play-in game in a thrilling showdown with No. 17 Westbrook. The Blue Blazes won, 18-17.

Despite returning no varsity starters from 2019, the girls team also made a strong push at the end of the season to earn the No. 12 seed in Class B. The Shipbuilders fell to No. 5 Camden Hills in the opening round of the postseason, 13-6.

Messalonskee goalie Jordyn Caouette makes a save on a shot from Mt. Ararat’s Maddie Kinney during a Class B quarterfinal game earlier this month in Oakland. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

“Despite our finish in the standings, we had several athletes step up throughout the season to create a solid foundation for the program,” said Morse co-head coach Linda Levesque.

The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference honored several Midcoast players.

Eight Brunswick boys players made the conference’s all-West team: attackers Sean Lyne and Gus Silverman, midfielders Thomas Labbe and Max Rudgers, defensemen Ethan Upham, goalie Jack Reeves, faceoff artist Albert Putnam, and Camden Folsom as a reserve. Eli Schoenberg (attack), Nolan Blessington (midfield) and Bryce LaFrance (defense) represented Mt. Ararat on the team. For Morse, Maxon Brochu, Cayden Green and Owen Tucker were also recognized.

The ball flies out of Greely’s Abby Taylor’s stick after as tried to defend Freeport’s Rianna Tomm during a game this past season in Cumberland. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald

On the girls side, Eliza Libby, a Mt. Ararat defender, was named the KVAC West regular season MVP. Brunswick players Emily Cloutier, Chloe Coombs, Elizabeth Putnam, and Gretta Trapp made the KVAC West team. In Bath, attacker Mary LaRochelle and defensemen Wren Tetreault earned conference team honors as well.

Cloutier also netted her 100th career goal this season.

Four Freeport girls were selected to the Western Maine Conference second team: Meredith Feller, Rianna Tomm, Kate Tracy, and Savannah Tracy. Justin Cogswell was the lone boy selected from Freeport.