After falling to Hereford by one goal in the past two Class 3A-2A North Region finals, the C. Milton Wright girls lacrosse team was determined to win the title this year — no matter how long it took or how controversial the ending.
In a game that featured seven ties and five lead changes, Kendall Little scored the game-winner 41 seconds into the second overtime to give the Mustangs an 11-10 victory and their first region championship in three years.
"The past two years, they won in like the last two seconds of the game and they were close the entire time, and I think that motivated us," Little said. "We wanted to win so bad, especially us seniors, so we knew coming into it we had to put everything on the field."
The visiting Mustangs (11-7) escaped what appeared to be certain defeat when Hereford's Lily Cavallero scored midway through the first overtime. After Cavallero hit her free-position shot, the No. 14 Bulls (15-2) raced down the field in celebration, but the officials told them to drop their sticks, because C. Milton Wright coach Jaclyn Parker had called for a stick check on Cavallero.
The official contended that Cavallero heard the call for a stick check and pulled the strings on her crosse to make sure the pocket was legal, so the goal was disallowed. Hereford coach Anne Ensor said her players never heard the official as they screamed in celebration.
"If you want a stick check, if that's going to be the deciding factor, she's got to make that call when the kid's down there having just taken the shot," Ensor said. "When they're all jumping up and down and celebrating, it seems to me it's a little bit too late, but it was a gutsy call by their coach and it worked out for them."
Parker said Mustangs sophomore Moriah Snyder suggested she ask for the stick check.
Ensor called for a stick check on Little after her goal and contended that Little was pulling on her strings, too, but the stick was deemed legal.
When the game resumed after the Bulls lost their goal, the Mustangs had the ball but turned it over with 19 seconds left in the first overtime. Hereford won the draw to start the second overtime but turned it over and Little finished her big chance.
"It was just an in-the-moment-type thing," Little said. "My defender didn't follow me [through the middle of the arc] and I was open and Makenzie [Aponte] was able to get the ball to me. I just turned around and shot."
The region title is the third in five years for the Mustangs, who beat the Bulls en route to the title in 2012 and 2013. They advance to play No. 6 Glenelg in the state semifinals Friday night at 8 at Annapolis.
Wednesday's game was as close as ever from the start, tied from 1-1 through 6-6. Snyder assisted Catie Snee with three seconds left in the first half to give C. Milton Wright a 7-6 lead at the break.
Hereford's Kylie Nause tied it again right after halftime before the Mustangs built the biggest lead of the game with a three-goal run — two from Maria Snee and one from Little — to pull ahead 10-7 with 12:30 to go. The Bulls, however, got a pair of key saves from Cassidy Nozemack, who finished with eight, to spark the comeback.
Rachel Karwacki, Kaely Howard and Libby May then strung together a Bulls run to tie the game with 3:53 left that sent the game to overtime.
"I'm just so proud of our girls for not giving up on themselves. We were up by three with a lot of time to go and they came back and tied it up, and we just never gave up," said Parker, who also noted the defensive play of sophomores Sydney Frank and Snyder. "A lot of it was our senior leaders telling them to stay positive and that we've got this and they can continue to strive to win the game and it was awesome."
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