Howell — It was a neck-and-neck battle in the pouring rain for the Division 2 title Friday night, with Detroit Country Day eventually coming out on top in a 13-12 win over East Grand Rapids.
Country Day completes a 14-5 season in a thrilling way, with the game coming down to a final-minute possession to determine the winner.
The first quarter of play was a slow grind for both teams, primarily showcasing stout defense from both sides. East Grand Rapids teased an early spark with junior attacker Jane Weaver finding the net in the first two minutes, but from there, the pace remained at a rather tedious pace.
Junior midfielder Jackie Calso was able to tie up the game for Country Day soon after, but the team couldn’t capitalize on a number of free possession opportunities given.
Country Day was able to use a physical, man-up defense to create a number of East Grand Rapids turnovers midway through the quarter, which gave the defending champions ample scoring opportunities while limiting East Grand Rapids possession time.
Both teams exchanged blows to end the opening quarter, with East Grand Rapids’ junior midfielder Livia Burgess finding the net first, followed up by a quick goal from Calso for her second to end the quarter tied at two.
The second quarter ramped up the scoring a bit, with sophomore midfielder Charlotte Cook capitalizing on an unset defense to grab her first goal of the game, foreshadowing what would be a monster performance to come.
East Grand Rapids was able to fight back, however, gaining control for much of the remaining quarter. Sophomore midfielder Ella Alguire, senior attacker Rylee Renker and junior attacker Nora Williams each found the net. Renker saw the goal twice in the quarter to help give East Grand Rapids a 6-4 lead going into the half.
Between halves the rain began pouring in, but with the rain came a flurry of goals also, as Detroit Country Day came out scoring four goals in the first six minutes of play.
“It was absolutely huge,” Country Day head coach Liz Nussbaum said of the scoring barrage. “We are a very young team, so a lot of this game is really mental for us, so having that kind of momentum shift was super important. I think it was really just all the way across the field that we felt that confidence boost, and we knew in our hearts that we could do it.”
Cook scored the first two goals of the quarter to complete a hat trick to that point, while senior midfielder Adriana Zuk added a pair of her own. The burst of scoring gave Country Day the 8-6 lead midway through the third.
East Grand Rapids didn’t let the barrage happen much longer however, as it added a trio of goals in a span of two minutes. Sophomore attacker Sarah Cross found the net and junior attacker Jane Weaver scored twice in less than two minutes to retake the lead. Country Day followed with two more goals, another coming at the hands of Cook and Calso.
The unsung hero for Country Day to that point largely could be seen as sophomore attacker Bella Papsyn, who finished the game with six assists.
“Bella has been leading our team in assists all year, and I think that we’ve really been working with her on being patient and waiting for those open options,” Nussbaum said. “She has really taken that to heart, and she has done a really good job of stepping up and not only pulling her defender to her, but also waiting for that second or third cut.”
East Grand Rapids ended the quarter with a goal to tie the game back up at ten, setting up a high-stakes final quarter of play.
Each team exchanged blows throughout the quarter, setting up a final minute of play all tied up at 12. With 40 seconds to go, tensions all rested at the faceoff, with Zuk coming away with the ball to give Country Day the game-winning chance.
Country Day was able to get its offense set for the final play, which found who else but Cook open in the cutting lane to drop in her sixth goal of the night to win the game.
“[Cook] is just a really creative player who takes every challenge and doesn’t let it faze her,” Nussbaum said. “She finds out a new way to do it. EGR did a great job of stopper her at several points of the game, so she had to change how she played, and she did a great job of finding those options.
“She’s such a dynamic player who’s able to make those changes on the fly, but also have the confidence to know that once she’s in, she’s going to score.”
Doug Doty is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Country Day repeats as lacrosse champs with last-minute goal
Reporting by Doug Doty, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Doug Doty, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
