Schools

Back-to-Back State Lacrosse Titles for John Burroughs, Simply Priceless

Burroughs dominates 15-5 championship game with MICDS from start to finish.

The cost of a ticket to the 2012 Missouri State Lacrosse Association championship $1. The price of a 20 ounce Pepsi at the concession stand $2. The cost of a repeat championship and an undefeated 17-0 season for the Burroughs Bombers, priceless.

The undefeated Bombers pounded MICDS mercilessly on a 91 degree day on the artificial turf of Harlan Hunter Stadium on the campus of Lindenwood University. The final score, Burroughs 15-5 over the Rams.

The dream of a perfect season on South Price Road became a reality.

“We don’t set just one goal for the season. We set a series of goals,” said the victorious coach Megan O’Mally. “I just told the girls to give it everything they got. We expected so much out of them and they gave it to us,” said their coach.

One thing O’Mally will have to do is try and find a suitable replacement for her senior standout Charlotte Martin. Martin, a ferocious field hockey star will take her multiple talents to play on the highly-regarded national field hockey team at Northwestern University in the fall.

Martin served notice, scoring one minute into the start of the game. She finished with four goals Saturday; 66 goals, 40 assists for 106 points on the season. “We wanted to win this thing so badly,” said Martin. “We have a whole team of players who were able to make up a championship team. It just feels so good to win this thing,” said Martin.

Junior Leanne Hurster managed to score seven goals Saturday, the top producer on either team. Her goals included the 12th, 13th and 15 and final goal of the championship game.

“We knew all sorts of things could happen. We just felt like we were on fire. Our passing was really good,” said Hurster.

Despite the soaring heat on the turf, the Bombers hit the field with a very high level of energy. On April 26, they escaped with a 12-11 win over the Rams at their place. This time, it wasn’t close at all.

Midway through the first half, Sophie Critchfield-Jain, a senior scored a goal to knot the game at 2 apiece. Then, the Bombers caught fire. They scored six unanswered goals including scores from Ruth Barry, Stephanie Kelly, Barry again, Hurster, Martin and Hurster a third time.

With just 9.5 seconds left until halftime, Molly Scott got the ball past goalkeeper Abby Frerotte to stop the bleeding at 8-3.

In the second half, Kelly and Hurster scored early on MICDS goalkeeper Tally Portnoi and it was fairly easy from there.

O’Mally told her victorious team “Not only did you win the championship, you did it by 10 goals. Amazing,” she said.

“I’m so happy for the girls. I wanted this badly for them. I knew this team had the ability. They just had to go out and do it.”

“I must say we were well prepared for this game. Our defense played very well. I can’t say enough about Charlotte (Martin). She has the ability to take over any game.”

For the John Burroughs lacrosse team, winning back-to-back titles is just flat out priceless.


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