BERLIN- It was good news, bad news, better news this week for Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity lacrosse team, which, in the span of a few days won the Bayside South championship, lost in the Bayside Conference title game and learned they are the top seed in the state regional playoffs.
The Decatur girls struggled somewhat early in the season on their way to a 3-5 record, but won their last four regular season games including an impressive 19-14 win over Parkside last Friday to clinch the Bayside South championship. The win propelled the Seahawks into Monday’s Bayside Conference title game against perennial Bayside North champion Kent Island.
In the title game on Monday, Kent Island took an early lead and led 8-6 at the half. Decatur got two quick goals by Alyssa Romano early in the second half to tie the game at 8-8. For a long stretch in the second half, neither team could find the back of the net until Kent Island scored with 13 minutes left in the game to take a 9-8 lead.
Minutes later, Decatur’s Sarah Engle scored to tie the game at 9-9, the third and last time the game would be tied. Kent Island scored again at the 10-minute mark to take a 10-9 lead and added another goal with about three minutes left to push the lead to 11-9.
There was no quit in the Seahawks, however. Decatur got a goal by Abby Yesko with 2:42 remaining in the contest to pull within one at 11-10. Kent Island controlled the ball down the stretch and added a late insurance goal with just 36 seconds remaining to close out the game at 12-10 and claim the conference championship.
Despite the sting of the narrow loss in the title game, the Decatur girls found out when the state regional playoff brackets were released they are the top seed in the 3A-East Section II and will face fourth-seeded Bennett at home in the opener on Friday. The Seahawks just beat Bennett, 8-6, last Wednesday.
