Elise Alders’ goal 1:16 into Saturday morning’s Class 1A state semifinal started a string of 10 straight for the Huskies, who beat Boonsboro, 18-5, at James R. Harris Stadium in Havre de Grace.
The Huskies (10-6), defending 1A state champs, were up 10-0, 17 minutes into the game before the Warriors scored their first goal.
“We’re very excited, we have had a crazy season of ups and downs. We’ve won some great games and we lost games that we should have won,” Huskies head coach Kim Burgasser said. “So, it is very exciting, but we really stressed this year that it really matters who shows up at the game and we know, depending on what happens with the game, if we see Loch Raven again, we know that’s going to be a really competitive game.”
The Huskies edged Loch Raven, 16-15, April 12. Loch Raven was to meet McDonough in the other semifinal to be played in the late afternoon.
The state title game is set for 4 p.m. Tuesday at Paint Branch High School.
On Saturday, Alders goal, assisted by Beth Bruck, was followed by a pair of free position shot (FPS) goals from Bruck and Kate Springer.
Alders then scored a pair, one assisted by Bruck and the other a FPS goal.
Springer then added her second on by FPS after a defensive stop at the other end.
The Huskies defense and goalie Faith Treptow continuously stymied the Boonsboro attack. The defense altered one FPS try and Treptow, who finished with six saves, made saves on two other FPS opportunities.
Lindsey Tolliver (three goals), meanwhile, scored her first on a FPS chance, while Delaney Madsen and Anna Salerno scored with Bruck (three goals, five assists) assisting both.
Alders, who finished with a game-high five goals, ended the 10-goal run with an assist from Sydney Beck.
The Warriors got on the scoreboard three times in the final four minutes of the half.
Playing with a player advantage due to a Huskies penalty, the Warriors scored twice, just 15 seconds apart. Josie Wells and Makenna Luzier scored the player-advantage goals.
Ella Mannix added the third Boonsboro goal with :42 left in the half.
The Huskies opened the second half with Salerno and Alders goals, before the unfortunate happened.
Springer, a senior, was headed to the Boonsboro goal when her motion was halted by an awkward step with her left foot. Springer went to the ground and was later assisted off the field.
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“It’s devastating, I mean it’s just crazy how many injuries we see in girls lacrosse, we already had one ACL tear this year with one of our players,” Burgasser said. “So you know we’re praying that it’s not that, we’re praying for the best for her, because I know she a has a long exciting road ahead of her at Villanova. Will come together as a team and work that much harder.”
A short time after the injury, Boonsboro’s Ava Selby converted a FPS goal, but the Huskies responded with four of their own.
Beck scored her only goal, followed by goals from Salerno, Bruck and Tolliver.
Luzier scored the final Boonsboro goal with 7:53 to play. The Huskies added two more to finalize the outcome.
Tolliver and Bruck provided the final goals. “It’s really cool, we have a really close knit group of girls this year, last year there were some girls on the team that seemed like it was simply about them,” Bruck said. “And this time, it’s all about everyone, everyone wants to get goals, everyone wants to help each other get goals. We all just want to help each other out and that’s how you make the best team.”
For Bruck, Tuesday’s state final will be her fifth as a Huskies athlete. She celebrated the state title lacrosse win last year, but she and her teammates went 0-3 in state girls soccer championship games.
“After knowing what it feels like to make it their and lose a fair amount of times, it definitely will feel really, really great if we can pull out a win on Tuesday. Be very, very fun,” Bruck said.