Hudson two wins away from OHSAA Division I girls lacrosse state title

The Hudson girls lacrosse team is clicking on offense and defense as it heads into the Division I state tournament.

Margie Anderson is a happy coach as Hudson is set to meet Olentangy Liberty in a state semifinal at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Ashland University’s Jack Miller Stadium.

“Throughout the course of the entire season, this team has improved week to week,” Anderson said Sunday night. “I think they are peaking at just the right time. They truly play as a unified team. They work together, they look for each other and they support each other. They are in it together. You can tell just by their attitudes and by the way they move the ball.”

Hudson tops St. Joseph to advance to girls lacrosse state semifinal

Hudson (18-3) advanced to the state tournament by defeating Cleveland St. Joseph Academy 10-9 Friday in the Division I, Region 2 championship at Hudson.

Senior midfielder Ryan St. Pierre led Hudson offensively against St. Joe with three goals and one assist. Sophomore midfielder Mackie Stickler contributed two goals and one assist, and senior attacker Kennedy Kerrigan also netted two goals.

Hudson senior attacker Emma Palmer had one goal and two assists, and sophomore Lexie St. Pierre and senior Emma Northrup each scored a goal.

Ryan St. Pierre, a Penn State recruit, was selected as the Positional Player of the Year in the midfield in Division I, Region 2. Palmer, a George Mason recruit, was tabbed as the Positional Player of the Year for attack in Region 2.

“We have two captains, Emma Palmer and Ryan St. Pierre,” Anderson said. “I have a group of what I call our leadership committee, and that is five people. It involves the two captains plus [fellow seniors] Ava Wallace, Lindsey Rohwedder and Ellie Finkenthal. We have relied on those five to help lead us through thick and thin throughout the course of the season in decisions on and off the field.”

Palmer has 57 goals and 38 assists this season. Ryan St. Pierre has 67 goals, 16 assists and 139 draw controls. Stickler has 61 goals, 21 assists and 90 draw controls.

Hudson’s starting goalie is sophomore Hannah Clark. The starters on defense are seniors Peyton Bakonyi (Grand River recruit), Wallace and Rohwedder and sophomore Paige Sutton.

Ryan St. Pierre is a starter in the midfield along with Finkenthal and Stickler. The starting attackers are Palmer, Kerrigan, junior Audra Lozina and senior Blake Wervey.

“One key element for this team to succeed is to have fun, first and foremost,” said Anderson, who played on the University of Massachusetts women’s lacrosse team.

“We play for the fun of it. We also work at understanding and appreciating the individual contributions to the success of the team. Whether you’re on the field or on the sidelines, everyone brings something to contribute.”

Hudson’s top reserves are Lexie St. Pierre, Northrup (Baldwin Wallace recruit), sophomore Grace Churchwell and juniors Renee Morgan and Avery Travis.

Hudson dominates Avon, Hoover in girls lacrosse tournament openers

Hudson’s path to the state tournament started with a 25-4 win over Avon in a regional quarterfinal on May 19 and a 21-6 victory over North Canton Hoover in a regional semifinal on May 22.

“The Avon game set the pace for our postseason run,” Anderson said. “The team played a high energy, team-oriented game.”

Palmer totaled six goals and two assists against Avon, and Ryan St. Pierre and Stickler each had five goals. Ava Kuss and Ava Fontana netted two goals apiece. Morgan, Churchwell, Wervey, Kerrigan and Lozina each had a goal.

The win over Hoover featured more balanced scoring as Palmer totaled four goals and two assists, Ryan St. Pierre scored four goals and Morgan and Stickler netted three goals apiece. Wervey, Kerrigan and Lexie St. Pierre also each had two goals and Northrup added a goal.

Hudson’s regular season included wins over familiar foes and losses to New Albany, Jackson and Medina.

“We beat St. Joseph, the team we just beat again, in the very first game of the season and we won by the exact same score, 10-9,” Anderson said. “Another team we beat in the regular season was Hoover, who we also beat again in the playoffs. The first time we beat Hoover, the score was 10-9. Dublin Jerome was another big win for us in the regular season.”

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at [email protected] and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Hudson enters OHSAA Division I girls lacrosse state tournament