BURLINGTON – Newburyport’s girls had all they could handle in a back-and-forth lacrosse contest, but managed to outlast Norwell, pulling away late for a 13-10 victory in the Div. 3 state final and earning their first state championship since 2014.
With the game tied at 9-9, Newburyport would net four unanswered; Olivia McDonald got her third goal of the day at the 18:35 mark to make it a one-goal lead. Junior Rita Cahalane scored minutes later on a nice cut in front to make it 11-9 with 10:33 to go.
Junior Lily Pons would net her second just 34-seconds later, before senior captain Anna Affolter scored with 8:08 to go, making it 13-9 and giving Newburyport their biggest lead.
“We’d been talking about finding a team’s breaking point and exploding from there,” said senior captain Isabella Rosa, who scored three goals. “We did such a great job to keep our energy with the back and forth today… I’m really proud of our team.”
Norwell’s Caroline Burtch cut it to 13-10 with 7:05 remaining, but Newburyport was able to squelch a comeback with tight defense down the stretch.
Pons had put Newburyport on top 8-7 just 57 seconds into the second half. Olivia McDonald made it a two-goal lead with 22:47 left.
Norwell responded with goals from senior captain Maddie McDonald and sophomore Holly Panttila, to make it 9-9 with 20:58 to go.
Norwell never led, but did not allow Newburyport to pull away.
Reese Bromby kicked off the scoring 2:25 in, before Charlise Cox answered with 20:08 to go in the half. Bromby netted another on a penalty at the 16:29 mark, and Maddie McDonald tied it up 1:02 later for Norwell.
Just 24-seconds later, Olivia McDonald gave Newburyport a 3-2 lead, but Maddie McDonald would net her second with 12:26 to go in the half to even the score. Rosa would score twice and Affolter would make it three unanswered goals for Newburyport, and a 6-3 lead.
Cox would score two consecutive for Norwell to cut the deficit to one with 3:39 remaining, but Rosa would reclaim the two goal lead with her third for Newburyport.
Norwell senior captain Reese Stoddard then scored two goals 58-seconds apart to even the score at 7-7 with 43-seconds to go before halftime.
The future is bright for a Newburyport program that only graduates six seniors from this year’s roster, but for those six, the send-off could not be more appropriate.
“After losing last year, we wanted this from the very beginning,” said senior captain Affolter. “Everyone’s attitude at every practice, I thought we worked great together…It’s bitter sweet but what better way to go to college than with a state championship?”