Teammates surround Madison Drain (20) after Massabesic claimed the Class A girls’ lacrosse state championship by defeating Messalonskee at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday.
PORTLAND — Massabesic earned revenge and a state championship by beating Messalonskee 13-4 in the Class A girls’ lacrosse title game at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Saturday.
In this same game last year, the Eagle defeated the Mustangs 7-6 in overtime. This year, Massabesic would not be denied, going 16-0 and taking care of Messalonskee.
“Pretty focused group. We’ve got some great leadership at all the class levels,” Massabesic coach Brooks Bowen said. “They set a goal for themselves, they went to work in the offseason, they never lost sight of what they wanted to accomplish.
“Just so proud of them. It’s easy when you get into some of the rough spots to (say), ‘Well, the goal m gift not be worth it,’ you know? But they never lost sight of that, and here we are.”
The Mustangs (16-0) scored twice in the first five minutes — Skylar Renaud and Morgan Pike had they goals — to take a quick 2-0 lead. Messalonskee’s Ally Turner responded with goals less than a minute apart to tie the game at 2-2. Pike and Logan Champlin each scored to put the Mustangs back in front, 4-2.
Turner responded again with a goal to make it 4-3, but goals by Pike and Taylor Manning sent Massabesic into halftime with a 6-3 advantage. With Madison Drain leading the way, the Mustangs continued adding to their lead in the second half, scoring seven goals to the Eagles’ one.
“We had our halftime talk, and I think we learned a lot from last year and that we need to come in and we need to finish it,” Drain said. “We talked about how I’m a lot more dangerous without the ball, so finding openings and all that stuff, and then my team was just moving perfectly, seemed to open it wide open for me.”
Goals by Manning and Drain made it 8-3. Lauren Pickett scored Messalonskee’s lone goal at the 14:12 mark to make it 8-4.
Then Massabesic pulled away. Renaud scored and then Drain buried to goal within a minute to make it 11-4.
“Madi’s a pretty fierce competitor, no matter what sports she’s in,” Bowen said. “I’m glad she’s on our side and I don’t have to coach against her.”
Manning and Pike finished off the scoring. Pike led all scorers with four goals, while Drain and Manning had three and Renaud two for Massabesic. Turner had three goals for Messalonskee, which finishes the season 14-2.
The Eagles were playing in their third straight state championship game, and have a strong chance of continuing their streak in 2018, with only three graduating seniors.
“I’ve got some pretty young girls on my team,” Eagles coach Crystal Leavitt said. “And what they showed was by far hopeful for me, because we’re young still, we’re very young.
“I’ve said it all season, I’ve got girls who refuse to lose. Today we didn’t come out on top, but anyone that watched this game saw heart and passion from my girls, and I could not be any more proud of them.”
Messalonskee’s Ally Turner dashes upfield against the defense of Massabesic’s Morgan Pike during the Class A girls’ lacrosse state championship game Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.
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