The girls lacrosse season is nearing the end, as eight teams remain in the race for a state championship.
The semifinals and finals both take place this week, with Metro Detroit teams Hartland, South Lyon, Bloomfield Hills, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Detroit Country Day all fighting to bring home the trophy.
Here’s a preview of the semifinal matchups.
Division 1
Rockford vs. Hartland, 5 p.m. Wednesday at East Lansing
Hartland is coming off of a 6-3 finals loss in 2025 at the hands of South Lyon and has been pretty strong under head coach Ryan Skomial. The team holds a 13-6 record, with key wins against Bloomfield Hills, Lake Orion and White Lake Lakeland. In the MHSAA Michigan Power Rankings (MPR), Hartland sits at seventh in Division 1 with a score of 0.593.
Hartland’s roster is loaded with talent, highlighted by All-American goalie Claire Pielack, midfielder Amanda Norton, AJ Johnson and Aleah Schuman. Throughout the regular season, Skomial preached on how last year’s postseason run added a great deal of confidence that can be attributed to getting the team to this level.
Rockford is 10-8 on the year but is no stranger to deep postseason runs. The team finished as runner-ups in 2024 and has won eight state titles since 2013, including seven straight from 2013-19.
This year, head coach Mark Neumen’s team sits in the top 10 in MPR among all Division 1 schools in the state with a score of 0.573. Rockford has highlight wins against teams like Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Hudsonville, but it faces one of its more tough opponents in Hartland.
South Lyon vs. Bloomfield Hills, 5 p.m. Wednesday at Fenton
This game marks one of the more highly-anticipated matchups of the season, with both teams regarded as two of the more formidable opponents in the state.
South Lyon is the defending state champion and enters undefeated on the season with a record of 26-0. The unbeaten run is highlighted with wins against Brighton (No. 1 in MPR), Haslett, White Lake Lakeland and Grosse Pointe South, winning by double digits in all but seven of the matchups.
Captains Shaelyn Perry and Teagan Wesner lead the way for South Lyon, while Reagan Shields and Gabriela Lucchesi add to a powerful attack game. The defense is also elite for South Lyon, setting the state record for fewest goals allowed in a season with only 80 on the year.
Bloomfield Hills (16-7) ranks eighth in Division 1 with an MPR of 0.580. Head coach Christina Arens mentioned earlier in the season how this year’s team has been adapting well since losing 10 seniors from last year, which is highlighted by wins against the likes of Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Grosse Pointe South and Clarkston.
Junior defender Lyla Komorn has been one of the strong talents on the roster, along with the captain trio of Solei Ewing, Molly Rubel and Brooke Sanders. Ewing earned first-team all-state honors last year, while Sanders is committed to Lawrence Tech as a goalie.
Division 2
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard vs. Detroit Country Day, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Fenton
A high-end matchup sees two of some of the top teams in Division 2 square off.
Gabriel Richard has consistently sat within the top three among all Division 2 teams in regards to MPR, with a 0.637. Head coach Chris Merucci’s team holds a record of 17-2, with one of its two lone losses coming at the hands of out-of-state Toledo St. Ursula (Ohio). The team has won matchups against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, Dearborn Divine Child and Dexter.
Gabriel Richard’s roster is highlighted by the likes of freshman Pilar Goetz, Maddie Hodrosky and Julia Dombrowski.
Country Day won the state title in the division last year, defeating Grand Rapids Catholic Central 10-9 in overtime. Country Day (13-5) is the fourth-ranked Division 2 team in MPR with a score of 0.628. Head coach Liz Nussbaum and her team have wins against Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep and Hartland under their belt.
East Grand Rapids vs. Haslett, 7 p.m. Wednesday at East Lansing
East Grand Rapids is one of the dominant teams in the division, ranking second in MPR with a score of 0.656 and a record of 18-2. The team has seen the final stage in the past, winning three straight from 2019-22 while finishing as runner-up in 2023.
East Grand Rapids has strong wins against Country Day, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Spring Lake on the year.
Haslett is 18-1 on the year, with an MPR of 0.625. The team has not made a finals appearance since girls lacrosse became an MHSAA-sanctioned sport in 2005, and head coach Kaili Miller has a chance at history against a strong opponent.
The team has big wins on the year against the likes of Saginaw Heritage, Hartland and Lake Orion, using a strong defense that doesn’t allow many goals.
Doug Doty is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Girls lacrosse state semifinals preview: South Lyon, Country Day seek repeat
Reporting by Doug Doty, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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