By Kris Cyr — Lacrosse Contributor
The fourth-seeded Concord-Carlisle girls lacrosse team ended their strongest season to date with a 7-11 loss to #1 Central Catholic in the MIAA Division 1 State Semifinal game on June 10.
At the neutral site of Burlington High School, the Central Catholic Raiders led a strong attack and started out ahead 3-0. Concord-Carlisle rallied in the first half, tying the game before closing the half down a point, 4-5.
However, penalties on Concord-Carlisle in the critical scoring area awarded Central Catholic many free positions throughout the game. Ten of Central Catholic’s 11 goals came from free position shots on the 8-meter.
In a game similar to the regular season matchup, Concord-Carlisle Senior Captain Willow Cyr led the scorers with two goals. Senior Charlotte Skelly, sophomore Sarah Fortier, and ninth-graders Scarlett Mirak and Lindsay Cain also contributed goals. Senior Lydia Karle scored on an assist from sophomore Hannah Feloney.
Face-guarded for most of the game, junior Karleigh Mutch dominated draw controls. The Concord-Carlisle defense of sisters senior Hadley and ninth grader Avery Swenson, junior Alissa Bono and senior Captain Anna Crowley worked hard to counter Central Catholic’s offensive threats.
The team finished the season with a record of 18-6, the strongest Division 1 ranking since the MIAA power ranking system was implemented.
Players who received postseason accolades included:
- Dual County League (DCL) All Conference: Crowley, Cyr, and Mutch.
- DCL All-Star: Karle and Skelly.
- The Eastern Massachusetts Girls Lacrosse Coaching Association (EMGLCA) awarded 1st Team honors to Mutch and 2nd Team honors to Cyr.
In reaching the state semifinal for the first time since 2015, the team was led by the strong Class of 2024, consisting of seven players.
“Throughout the season, this team has demonstrated grit and perseverance on and off the field,” Cyr said. “We are proud of our love and support for each other. We will always have each others’ backs!”
Three students will play lacrosse at the collegiate level next year: Crowley (Pomona), Cyr (Cal Berkeley), and Skelly (Kenyon).
Hadley Swenson will play field hockey at Colby and Karle will attend Northeastern, while goalies Grace Grogins and Alex Cardoos head to Columbia and Colorado, respectively.
