Patriots girls head to the lacrosse D1 state finals

The Acton-Carlisle girls lacrosse team will return to the Division 1 state finals for the first time in 35 years after defeating the Chelmsford Lions 13-6 on Tuesday evening.

The draw trio of Lindsay Cain, Scarlett Mirak and leader Karleigh Mutch controlled possession for the Patriots.

Mirak led all scorers with six goals, followed by Mutch with four, Teagan Morrissey with two and Sarah Fortier with one. 

With a 10-2 halftime lead, the Patriots were clinical with their offense in the second half. The defense stifled multiple attempts with precision checks, causing Chelmsford turnovers and solid clears into the offensive zone. Goalkeeper Alex Hooven held the Lions in check. 

The girls were scheduled to play Westford Academy on June 12 for the state championship. 

The Patriots rode three strong performances into their championship slot, earning a berth in the final four for the second straight year.

Their campaign began with a 23-10 victory over the Arlington Spyponders, which saw 11 players with a goal. 

Six players had multi-goal games — Maya Feloney (4), Morrissey (4), Mirak (3), Vivi Myles (3), Mutch (2), and Julia Reynolds (2). 

The round of 16 brought Bishop Feehan to Memorial Field. The Patriots led 8-2 at the half, with five players scoring goals. In the third quarter, the Pats ran off five more goals, highlighted by a beautiful combination between Mutch and Morrissey. The defense allowed only three goals on 16 shots, and Hooven had arguably her best game of the season with eight saves. The final score was 16-3. 

A semifinal round match brought defending champion Central Catholic to town on Saturday. The Patriots dominated throughout in all three zones, resulting in a 13-3 win. The team started patiently and led 6-1 at the half. The Pats had possession two-thirds of the time and were relentless in the attacking end, resulting in eight turnovers by Central Catholic.