Cranbrook.edu

Weber's late goal lifts CK past Sacred Heart to win the girls lacrosse regional title

6/2/2014

Marty Budner, Observer & Eccentric

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood captured its third straight girls lacrosse Division 2 regional championship Friday afternoon at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep with a thrilling 10-9 victory over arch rival Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart.

Cranbrook Kingswood defeated Detroit Country Day (2013) and Sacred Heart (2012) to win its previous two regional crowns. CK lost in the 2011 regional championship game to Sacred Heart by the same 10-9 score.

“We knew coming into the game that it was going to be really tough playing against Sacred Heart,” said Melinda Saylor, in her 18th season as Cranbrook Kingswood’s head coach. “We have always had a friendly, but great, rivalry. It was really a pleasure to play them today”.

The game’s first half was a back-and-forth affair with each team nearly matching goal-for-goal. The opening 25 minutes ended with Cranbrook Kingswood holding on to a slim 6-5 advantage.

It appeared as if the Cranes were going to blow the game open in the second half. CK netted the first three goals and strolled to a 9-5 lead with 18:27 remaining.

However, the Gazelles were not done. They exploded for four consecutive goals in a five minute span to tie the game at 9-all.

With just 3:06 remaining in regulation, Cranbrook Kingswood junior Maddy Weber swiped at a loose ball in front of the Sacred Heart net and it crossed the line for what turned into the game-winning goal. The Cranes’ Tara Chelios won the ensuing face-off and CK managed to kill a majority of the remaining time. Sacred Heart managed just two quick possessions during the span and never threatened.

“They have a different style and a different game than we do. We’re a much more kind of a steady-Eddie, pass-and-set-up-a-play kind of team,” said Saylor. “They have a lot of speed and sometimes that throws our girls off and that makes it a little back-and-forth.

“But, I think our girls rose to the occasion and played real well,” she said. “You can never underestimate Academy of the Sacred Heart. They have tenacity, athleticism and they always came back at you no matter what. They just don’t give up.”

Senior Leah Isreal led the Cranbrook Kingswood offense with four goals. Junior Ariana Vespa and Weber each scored twice. Sophomore Grace Giampetroni and Chelios accounted for the other Crane goals. Besides winning a number of face-offs, Chelios, who is headed to Northwestern to play lacrosse, finished with a pair of assists.

Junior Amanda Petzold led Sacred Heart with three goals. Freshmen Alice Zimmer and Sophia Yzerman each scored twice while juniors Clare Walsh and Bailey Seklar accounted for the other two Gazelle goals.

“It was definitely an emotional roller-coaster for us,” said Sacred Heart’s first-year head coach Allison Cumper, whose team finished with a 7-7 overall record. “We’ve come back in a few games before from a deficit and I know it’s possible to come back. I thought we just threw it away with a few bad passes and not being super consistent.

“But, I think it was a well-played game,” she said. “It was a close score and my girls played their hearts out. I cannot honestly ask for them to do anymore.”

Each goalie – senior Surya Adams (Cranbrook Kingswood) and sophomore Molly Lynch (Sacred Heart) – came up with key saves.

Cranbrook Kingswood (12-4 and ranked No. 8 in the state) now advances to the Division 2 semifinal scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Okemos High School against defending Division 2 champion East Grand Rapids. The Cranes lost in last year’s D-2 state semifinal to Livonia Ladywood.

Back