Division I State Championship Game
Powell Olentangy Liberty Holds Off Upper Arlington to Win First State Title
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In a rematch of the 2023 Division I girls lacrosse state championship, Olentangy Liberty (20-4) avenged last year’s team with a 6-5 win over Upper Arlington (21-3) at Historic Crew Stadium on Saturday.
Olentangy Liberty jumped out to an early lead, scoring four of the game’s first five goals. Senior Isabelle Pohmer scored to break a 1-1 tie at the end of the first quarter and opened the scoring in the second quarter with her second of three goals.
Olentangy Liberty junior Corinna Hilmas scored to make the score 4-1 with 4:32 left in the half but Upper Arlington responded with three consecutive goals spanning into the second half of play to even the game at four a piece.
Isabelle Pohmer's third goal of the evening took the lead back for the Patriots in the third quarter and junior Madeline Pohmer scored the first goal of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 6-4.
Upper Arlington cut the lead to 6-5 with a goal from the stick of senior Lilly Boyle, but Olentangy Liberty was able to cling to the one goal lead for the final 10:19 remaining in the game.
Sophomore Evie Ruma led the Golden Bears in scoring with two goals.
Freshman goalie Tori Maurer turned away three shots for Upper Arlington while sophomore Evie Howenstine saved four shots for Olentangy Liberty.
It was the first OHSAA state championship for the Patriots in their second state tournament appearance, while Upper Arlington was making its sixth OHSAA state tournament appearance (2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 champions).
Division II State Championship Game
Columbus St. Francis DeSales Rides Early Lead to 14-7 Victory Over Bay Village Bay
COLUMBUS, Ohio – DeSales (19-5) outscored Bay (18-5) 4-0 in the first quarter and never surrendered the lead to claim the Division II girls lacrosse state championship on Saturday at Historic Crew Stadium. DeSales sophomore Campbell Heald tied the OHSAA Division II state championship game record with six goals.
Despite Bay outshooting DeSales 8-7 in the first quarter, DeSales ended the frame with a 4-0 lead. Isabella Carfagna scored the final goal of the quarter with 1:29 remaining, the first of a five-goal effort from the senior.
Bay sophomore Layla Meaux scored twice in the second quarter followed by seniors Ella Boehringer and Riley LaVogue adding one goal each to cut the DeSales lead to 6-4.
DeSales pulled away with eight goals in the second half, four from Heald, three from Carfagna, and one from sophomore Anna Bogan.
Bay senior goalie Elise Bennett made eight saves, good for third all-time in a Division II OHSAA state championship game. DeSales senior goalie Carmen Lacey made seven saves which is tied for fourth all-time.
This was Bay’s second trip to the state tournament (2023) and first to the championship game. DeSales has made the OHSAA state tournament four times and have reached the state championship game twice (2019 champion). The Stallions also won the OSLA state championship in 2016 making this their third state championship overall.