The path to a state championship is a pilgrimage. There can be hurdles, and daunting obstacles littered along the route.
Since the first day of the spring, however, St. John’s Prep (21-2) was the consensus team to beat in Div. 1 boys lacrosse. Despite a few valiant attempts to unseat the Eagles, they still found themselves standing at the end — champions for a fourth consecutive campaign. Princeton commit Jake Vana (five goals, assist) and junior Luke Kelly (five goals, two assists) were the catalysts in the Div. 1 final, as top-seeded St. John’s Prep upended upstart No. 7 Needham with a wild 17-13 victory this past weekend to continue its dynastic run.
The Div. 2 boys lacrosse title bout may have been the most remarkable championship this season, as we saw two schools catch fire during incredible trips to the final game. In a showdown which lasted into triple overtime, third-ranked Longmeadow (21-2) was able to win its 21st state crown as a program with a stunning 11-10 heartstopper over No. 4 Marshfield. Brendan Harty was the hero for the Lancers, as he sniped the game-clinching tally in unforgettable fashion.
We had so many questions this year for Div. 3, as numerous schools with decorated history joined the fold. One thing stayed the same though, and that would be Medfield’s domination. One of the favorites when the campaign began, the Warriors (20-3) didn’t simply live up to expectations, they exceeded them. The school captured its ninth title overall with a convincing 13-4 win over a driven team in second-seeded Scituate, as Tim Collins (hat trick) and Joe Bartolotta (two goals) paced things offensively.
Are ferry rides often exhausting? Yes, but this time they were all worth it at the end for Nantucket (21-1), which made history by winning the Div. 4 boys lacrosse championship. The top-ranked Whalers managed to knock off a perennial heavyweight to claim the hardware with a close 7-6 victory against No. 3 Sandwich. With the game knotted late, sophomore Nolan Mosscrop tallied a pair of goals to put Nantucket ahead for good.
Thanks to the MIAA’s recent realignment, the Div. 1 girls lacrosse world had more parity than it has seen in a while. This time, third-year coach Vanessa Pino and her squad at Central Catholic (24-2) were able to shatter new barriers. URI commit Nicolette Licare (five goals) and junior Kerri Finneran (four goals) each provided a spark in the title game, as the Raiders captured their first-ever championship with a 14-8 win over second-ranked Wellesley.
Notre Dame (Hingham) might have just featured the most talented team in the Commonwealth, and the top-seeded Cougars (22-1) eviscerated their competition en route to a third straight Div. 2 championship with a 14-10 victory over No. 2 Walpole. The school was powered by Clemson commit Jane Hilsabeck and Colgate-bound senior Aubrey McMahon. It was the fifth state title for the program since 2013.
Kelly Blake shattered just about every record in Medfield’s decorated lacrosse books. Now a Boston College commit, she turns her attention to the next chapter. However, she and her teammates closed their spring in the best way imaginable. The senior (hat trick, three assists) and classmate Alex Proefrock (four goals) saved their best for last, defeating second-seeded Newburyport, 14-10, to win their second Div. 3 crown in the past three seasons.
There may have been some turnover in recent years, but success remains an expectation at Cohasset. The third-ranked Skippers (19-3) followed up on their side of the bargain, and ended up winning the Div. 4 girls championship with a 14-9 victory over No. 4 Ipswich. Avery Regan continued her incredible season with five goals and a pair of assists. A few key pieces might be departing the program, but don’t be too surprised if you see Skippers coach Joe Fitzgerald and his team back in the postseason next spring.
