The GHSA 2018 Lacrosse State Championships are set for Saturday, May 19 at Kennesaw State University’s Fifth Third Bank Stadium. It will be the first time that all four championship matches will share a centralized location and take place on the same day. In the girls Class A-5A final, two-time defending state champion Blessed Trinity will face a Starr’s Mill squad that stormed past Westminster 15-8 in the semis to punch its first-ever ticket to the finals. The Panthers poured on a 6-0 advantage before Westminster found the net and led 10-3 by the half. Seven different Starr’s Mill players scored, including a four-goal effort from Caroline Broderick.
Panthers opponent Blessed Trinity defeated Kell 10-6 in the semis, a rematch of a 16-2 victory over the Longhorns earlier in the season. Offensively, Kelly Scott led the Titans with four goals and a pair of assists, while teammate Elise Hammelrath also scored four goals. Defensively, Ansley Biggs registered nine saves in the win.
The Lassiter girls capitalized when penalties put Mill Creek down a player late, and held off the Hawks 12-10 to advance to the girls Class 6A-7A finals. The young Trojans will now face 11-time champion Milton, which has only lost three games against in-state programs in its 14 seasons of GHSA competition. Milton is 15-0 all-time against Lassiter and has been unstoppable this postseason, outscoring opponents 69-9 and cruising to the finals with a 15-goal average margin of victory.
THEY MEET AGAIN
Reigning champion Lassiter and Lambert both survived wild semifinal matches to set up a rematch of last year’s boys Class 6A-7A finals. Lassiter’s 9-6 lead late in the semifinals disappeared as North Gwinnett capped the final 1:04 of regulation with a trio of goals, including the equalizer with just three seconds left on the clock. Two minutes into a sudden death overtime period, Braden Erksa bounced in the game-winner for the 10-9 Trojans victory. Lambert took a 10-8 lead into the fourth quarter on Wednesday at Centennial, but trailed 13-11 with 6:38 left in the game and had to rally back. The Longhorns forced overtime 14-14 and then Benny O’Rourk’s game-winner with 3:17 left in the extra frame lifted Lambert to victory and preserved its bid for a perfect season.
Greater Atlanta Christian and Blessed Trinity guarantee a first-time champ in the boys Class A-5A finals. Blessed Trinity and Kell were locked in a 9-9 tie in the semifinals before Noah Jones netted the game-winner, and completed his hat trick with just 2:27 left. Greater Atlanta Christian limited Westminster to just two goals in the first three periods and clinched its first-ever finals berth with a 9-6 win over the Wildcats on Tuesday. Trey Wood and Ryan Quisling each registered hat tricks and Josh Rose added a goal and three assists in the win.
Saturday, May 19, 2018
1A-5A Girls: Starr’s Mill vs. Blessed Trinity 12 p.m
6A-7A Girls: Lassiter vs. Milton 2 p.m.
6A-7A Boys: Lassiter vs. Lambert 4 p.m.
1A-5A Boys: Greater Atlanta Christian vs. Blessed Trinity 6 p.m.
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