Bainbridge loses title to rivals for second straight year in Seattle.
SEATTLE – Another year, another season that ends in the championship game for the Bainbridge girls’ lacrosse team.
Unfortunately, for the second year in a row they won’t come home with the title.
They stayed close with Lakeside, but the Lions pulled away in the second half, defeating the Spartans 10-6 for their second varsity A title in as many years at Memorial Stadium in Seattle Center Saturday.
“The ball wasn’t bouncing our way today,” head coach Tami Tommila said.
Both teams played mostly even in the first half.
Gracie Binder put one in early to start it off, but Bainbridge countered when Sarah Shea scored off an assist from Lucy Schlesser.
Lakeside took the lead when Ellen Fitzharris scored off an assist from Binder, then got another goal from Lauren McAndrews a minute later.
Bainbridge eventually came back to tie it on goals from Mariah Walk and Sydney Whitaker.
Lakeside put two in to retake the lead, but Natalie Evans scored to cut the lead down.
Binder scored again, but Whitaker came back with a goal just before halftime to keep it at one.
But in the second half, it was all Lakeside.
Binder and Ellie Crutcher scored while the Spartans could muster just one more goal from Schlesser at the 15:57 mark.
They had trouble hanging onto the ball and they lost Walk for the game after she received two yellow cards for stick checks to the head.
“When Mariah got out of the game that took our wheels out,” Tommila said. “It was hard to recover, because then you’re letting their top speed player free.
“I thought we did a good job defensively of taking our chances and Jo (Wallace) did a great job playing the pass behind (her) but our midfield didn’t get it going and our attack just wasn’t lucky.”
That was it for the Spartans, as Lakeside added two more goals and ran the clock out for the win.
Evans, Sally Baumgartner, Tarie Cauoette and Rachel Harmon made the Varsity A all-state first team while Schlesser and Walk made the all-state second team.
Libby Van Dyke, Schlesser and Baumgartner were selected as academic All-Americans.
