WATERTOWN — St. Paul Catholic High School defeated Housatonic Valley Regional High School 13-12 in the riveting Western Connecticut Lacrosse Conference championship game Tuesday, May 21.
The lead changed hands every quarter and the game came down to the wire. HVRHS had a scoring chance with less than 30 seconds to play, but St. Paul held strong and claimed the title.
HVRHS's Lou Haemmerle lines up against fellow all-conference midfielder Vanessa Longo.Riley Klein
This anticipated showdown between the top two WCLC teams featured a total of 10 all-conference players. St. Paul had six: Emily Walker, Jocelyn Kennedy, Vanessa Longo, Jaylie Hernandez, Corinne Mola, and Samantha Sein. HVRHS had four: Lou Haemmerle, Marissa Zinke, Sophie Nason, and Lola Clayton (injured for title game).
Played on neutral ground at John J. Mills Complex in Watertown, conditions were toasty at game time, about 83 degrees with high humidity and no shade. Ice packs were in high demand for players seeking relief from the heat during timeouts.
Sophie Nason kept HVRHS in the game by saving at least eight shots.
The score see-sawed throughout the game with neither team leading by more than two points at any time.
HVRHS led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, but St. Paul was on top 9-8 at the half. The Mountaineers then reclaimed the lead, up 12-11 going into the final quarter.
Both teams were running on fumes by the fourth. St. Paul scored early to tie it up at 12. The Falcons scored again with seven minutes to play and proceeded to stall and drain the clock.
HVRHS had a chance to tie with seconds remaining.Riley Klein
With 30 seconds remaining Lou Haemmerle forced a turnover and sprinted the length of the field. The Mountaineers charged with time ticking away. Haemmerle sent a pass to the inside, which got broken up before reaching its target. A last-ditch shovel shot was blocked by St. Paul goalie Samantha Sein and the final buzzer blared. St. Paul won 13-12.
St. Paul was led in scoring by star midfielder Emily Walker with seven goals and two assists. Walker, due to graduate next month, scored more than 300 goals in her high school career. Vanessa Longo scored three, Jocelyn Kennedy scored two, and Gigi Arroyo scored one for St. Paul in the title game.
Marissa Zinke scored four times for HVRHS. Lou Haemmerle scored three times with three assists. Tessa Dekker and Isaly Sheil scored twice, Chloe Hill scored once. Sophie Nason had at least eight saves (according to the tally of a Lakeville Journal reporter).
Sportsmanship prevails.Riley Klein
