Macera leads Westminster to win over Churchill in 4A-3A semifinal

Senior Meghan Macera scored five goals and assisted on three others as Westminster defeated Churchill, 18-8, in a Class 4A-3A state semifinal at Franklin High School.

The Owls (13-4) jumped on Churchill (13-3) early, building a 4-0 lead, and never looked back en route to the win. Westminster, which controlled the draws and the run of play throughout, led 11-5 at the half.

Westminster will play Severna Park, which defeated Catonsville on Friday night in the other semifinal, for the state title. That game will be played Tuesday or Wednesday at UMBC.

The win sets up a rematch of last year's state final, in which the Falcons defeated Westminster. Macera says the loss in last season's final has fueled the Owls this season.

"It's been our biggest goal to get [to the state title game] again," Macera said. "There were a lot of things that we didn't do last year that I think we've corrected this season. I think we are better prepared both mentally and physically this season."

Mairin Hall led the Bulldogs with four goals. Carolyn Jamison also had four goals for the winning Owls.

Fallston 14, Parkside 13: Cougars senior Sam Nolan scored five goals in Saturday's Class 1A-2A girls lacrosse state semifinal against Parkside, with none bigger than the last at Bel Air.

Nolan's goal, assisted by Heather Summers, with 46.7 seconds left in the second overtime gave Fallston the win and a berth into the state finals. The Cougars will meet Winters Mill in the championship, set for Tuesday or Wednesday at UMBC.

"We called a timeout and we were practicing those plays in practice the last day, and we just knew that we needed a critical goal and that play always comes out and works for us in the end," Nolan said.

Fallston, which squandered an early 4-0 lead, had two chances in the final 12 seconds of regulation. Jenna Mosketti saw her high free-position shot bounce off the pipe with 10 seconds to play, and Nolan's low shot as time expired was stopped by Parkside goalie Bethany Davis.

The Cougars had a 4-0 lead before eight minutes were off the first-half clock. Nolan scored three of the four and Christina Wright scored her first of two.

The Cougars and Rams then traded goals throughout the final 17 mintues, sending the Cougars into the half with the four-goal cushion, 8-4.

Mosketti's second goal of the contest opened the second-half scoring for a 9-4 lead, but Parkside scored on back-to-back free position shots by Brie Custis and Anna Davis to make it 9-6.

Fallston's Tori Wagner countered with a free-position goal and a 10-6 lead, but the Cougars struggled with draw control and ball control and the result was a lost lead.

Parkside scored five unanswered goals over a 5:43 span to take its first lead, 11-10, with 7:52 remaining.

Nolan's fourth goal followed a minute and a half later, knotting the score at 11, and neither team found the nets over the final minutes, forcing the overtime.

In the first overtime, Wright's second goal put the Cougars on top, but only briefly as Parkside's Sydney Langeler scored to tie the game again for a final overtime period.

Davis put Parkside back ahead in the final overtime, but Courtney Laubach's third goal of the game tied the score, setting up Nolan's eventual game-winner.

Summers finished with a goal and assist.

Fallston played two goalies, with Grace Deckert making three saves in the first half and Jordan Wagner collecting five saves in the second half and overtime periods.

Parkside goalie Bethany Davis finished with six saves.

Class 4A

State Semifinal

Westminster 18, W. Churchill 8

Goals: WC – Hall 4, Flax 3, Muscarella; WE - Macera 5, Jamison 4, Cohen 3, McDonald 2, Pettine 2, Battles, McKelvie. Assists: WC – Flax. Saves: WC – Fox, 7; WE – Russell 3. WE - Janison 4, Macera 3, Pettine 2, Cohen, McDonald. Half: WE, 11-5.