FALMOUTH — Falmouth and Cheverus traded goals for the first few minutes. Then the Yachtsmen started gaining control of the faceoffs – and the game.
The top-seeded Yachtsmen scored at a furious pace in the first half and cruised to a 17-5 victory over the second-seeded Stags in the Class A North girls’ lacrosse final.
Falmouth (12-2) will face Massabesic, a 10-9 winner over top-seeded Kennebunk, in the Class A state championship game on Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The Mustangs beat the Yachtsmen 11-9 on May 7. Falmouth has since won eight straight.
This will be Falmouth’s first trip to the state finals since a loss to Messalonskee in 2014. The Yachtsmen lost in the regional final the past two seasons.
Caitlyn Camelio scored four of her seven goals in the first half and Kayla Sarazin added three as Falmouth raced to a 10-2 lead. Sarazin finished with five goals and three assists.
“I think the difference today was that we were really calm and composed,” Camelio said. “We’ve really wanted this all year. We’ve waited too long. This feels amazing.”
The backbreaker for the Stags (9-5) was a three-goal barrage in 58 seconds that saw Falmouth’s lead balloon to 8-2 with 9:11 left in the half.
Camelio got the first goal on an assist from Sarazin as Falmouth controlled the play in the Cheverus defensive zone for close to three minutes. Sarazin followed, scoring after a faceoff win to make it 7-2. She then gained control of the ensuing faceoff and capped the spurt 14 seconds later.
Christina Oaks, Jo Stucker and Eva Clement also scored in the first half for the Yachtsmen.
“The draws were huge in the first half,” first-year Falmouth coach Ashley Pullen said. “When you win draws you possess the ball. In this game it is much easier to play offense than defense. When you have the ball in your hands you control the game.”
The second half was much the same as Camelio found the back of the net 26 seconds after intermission.
Falmouth surged for another three-goal spurt in a span of 2:21 early in the half to push the lead to 14-3.
Chelsey Smithwick – the only senior on the team – and freshman Avi Fishman also scored in the second half for the Yachtsmen.
“Their two girls on the circle (Sarazin and Camelio) really did their job today,” Cheverus Coach Bill Fenton said. “We’re a better team than that but (Falmouth) has a heck of a team. They’re quick and fast and they beat us good tonight.”
Zoe Mazur had a goal and two assists and Mackenzie Johnston added a goal and one assist to pace Cheverus.
Earlier in the day Falmouth was awarded the 2018 Class A North Sportsmanship Award.
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