BRUNSWICK – The Messa-lonskee High boys’ lacrosse team didn’t win a state championship Saturday, nor did its 6-4 upset of second-ranked Brunswick propel it into the state final.
But the Eastern Class A semifinal victory did erase four years of futility against the Dragons, and it pushed the third-seeded Eagles into the regional final for the third time in four years.
Messalonskee (11-3) will play top-ranked Portland on Wednesday.
“We kept getting it in our heads that we couldn’t beat Brunswick,” said Andrew Wilson, who had two goals and an assist for Messalonskee. “We had to get that out of our heads. We haven’t beaten these guys in awhile.”
Messalonskee had lost 14 straight to Brunswick dating to the 2006 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference final.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Messalonskee Coach Tom Sheridan said.
Added attacker Brett Glasheen, who scored twice: “I don’t know if we’ve been intimidated by them or what, but we finally came together to beat them.”
The Eagles trailed 2-0 in the first seven minutes but then scored four straight goals, two by Glasheen.
The game turned with 59 seconds left in the second quarter when Nick Kressbach of Brunswick (10-3) was called for an illegal stick after he seemingly had given his team a 3-1 lead.
Sheridan asked officials to check Kressbach’s stick, which was illegally bent at the base.
The goal was disallowed, Kressbach was given a three-minute penalty, and the Eagles had momentum.
“I happened to think about it as he scored and I called it,” Sheridan said. “It was good timing. It was a big momentum-changer.”
Added Brunswick Coach Don Glover: “It was a good check by (Sheridan). This game is a game of ebbs and flows, and they rode the wave a little bit after that.”
Keenan Knox scored 51 seconds into the third quarter to make it 2-2. Glasheen scored just 1:17 later to give Messalonskee a 3-2 lead.
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