The Mariemont girls lacrosse team has succeeded this year with a potent and balanced offense.
After struggling with passing and turnovers for three quarters, the Warriors put together a championship quality fourth quarter to edge rival Indian Hill, 11-9, in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II, Region 8 championship game May 29 at Mariemont’s Kusel Stadium.
Mariemont (19-2) advances to next week’s state semifinals June 3 at Centerville. Indian Hill finishes 12-6.
Mariemont won its first regional title since claiming state championships in 2021 and 2022. Several players from those teams were in the stadium to cheer on their program.
“We really want to finish this job that we started, and we’re so excited,” said senior captain Charlotte Soller. “We really had the heart and the character. Our love for each other and the support for each other all came through.”
Indian Hill had gone to state in 2023 and 2024, but had lost 15-8 to the Warriors on April 30.
The Braves came out determined to avenge that loss and displayed that regional championship form all night, leading for most of the first three quarters. They led 3-1 in the first period, and 9-7 in the third period when Mariemont responded with three straight goals.
Mariemont tied it at 9 entering the final period.
Sophomore Nellie Deeter scored four minutes into the fourth quarter to put Mariemont up, 10-9. Junior Piper Farrell made it 11-9. She led the team with five goals.
Mariemont committed 11 turnovers on the night, but the Warriors had the ball for most of the fourth quarter by winning faceoffs, being patient on offense and forcing turnovers on their own.
“We struggled with our throwing and catching, which is uncharacteristic for us,” said Mariemont head coach Kevin Ferry. “We made a couple of personnel changes. The girls we took out were playing great, but we thought if we mixed things up a little bit we might have some different outcome, and it worked out in our favor.”
Mariemont has seven players with 28 or more goals. Farrell has a team-high 48 after matching her season high.
“She was explosive tonight and she was really our spark plug,” Ferry said. “She’s got a quick first step. They gave her enough space that she could work her way inside and then she finished tonight. She did a great job of finding the net.”
Farrell gave the team a big boost by scoring with under a second to play in the first half, tying the game 6-6. Then she scored 30 seconds into the third quarter to give her team a 7-6 advantage.
“It’s so nice,” she said. “We worked so hard as a team together and it’s an amazing feeling. It’s all a team effort. We all were seeing each other so well. I just happened to be the one who was in the middle a lot.”
Deeter had two goals and 43 for the season. Junior Mary McIntosh had the first two goals for the Warriors in the first period and 33 for the season. She also had an assist. Senior Olivia Riportella scored once and has 40. Junior Lily Kaplan scored once and has 36. Senior captain Charlotte Stoller didn’t score but has 42 goals and 129 for her career.
Stoller and the seniors are excited to get to play at state, and Ferry said it’s a boost for the program.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “You get the young kids there watching the excitement. It keeps the lacrosse culture in our community strong. It’s fun for the kids. There’s no experience quite like going to the state semis and it energizes the whole program.”
Junior Kallie Adams had five goals for Indian Hill and ended the season with 65. Sophomore Carson Bahl scored once and ended with 78. Sophomore Lilly Harris scored twice and ended with 41. Nella Grace Lewellen scored a goal and had 12.
Indian Hill has two seniors, Meran Phelps and Cora Riggs.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA girls lacrosse Division II, Region 8 championship game
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