Heading into Wednesday’s Section 3 championship between top-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall and second-seeded Eagan, one team knew it would be going to the state tournament for the first time in school history.
With a strong effort on both sides of the field, Cretin-Derham Hall was the team writing a new chapter in its folklore.
After exploding with four unanswered goals to open the second half, the Raiders held on to defeat the Wildcats 7-4 at Park High School in Cottage Grove and finally capture a section title that has proven to be elusive.
In past years, Cretin-Derham Hall (13-3) has had to battle perennial power Blake in the section playoffs, but never found a victory as the Bears won title after title.
But section realignment prior to the season sent the Raiders to Section 3, where they were able to solidify their status in the state.
“There’s some great teams in this tournament, and we’re one of them,” Cretin-Derham Hall coach Andrew Lecker said. “We’re coming to work. It’s exciting to watch.”
The Raiders outworked Eagan early in Thursday’s game, jumping out to an 3-0 lead before the Wildcats battled back to trim the deficit to one goal heading into halftime.
Cretin-Derham Hall took over from there. Four minutes into the second half, junior midfielder Bree Osborne put the Raiders ahead by two goals. She scored her second goal on the night with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game to give Cretin-Derham Hall a 7-2 lead, and the team never looked back.
Olivia Crawford also finished with two goals while Maya Quigley, Katie Buckingham and Anne Marie Rhoda each had one for the Raiders.
Molly Busch led Eagan with two goals and Paige Peplinski and Sara McNicoll had one apiece.
While the season came to an end for Eagan (12-4), the program showed it made strides, reaching its first section final and becoming the first team to finish with more than 10 victories while setting a school record for wins.
“They proved this year that Eagan lacrosse is a threat,” Wildcats assistant coach Lauren Murray said. “They deserve the credit.”
