St. Thomas Aquinas girls quiet Hagerty offense to secure berth in state lacrosse final
Not many programs could limit the offensive attack and firepower that the Oviedo Hagerty girls’ lacrosse team displayed on multiple occasions this season. It’s why the Huskies were the No. 1 seed in Class 2A.
Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas managed to do so in their biggest moment of the season to date.
The Raiders (11-8) let up just two goals over the first 25 minutes, which was just enough to win 10-8 over Hagerty on Friday at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex.
Aquinas advances to the Class 2A championship Saturday at 5 p.m. where it will face St. Johns Bartram Trail.
“We kind of knew their gameplan coming in,” St. Thomas coach Kevin Gilligan said. “It was to draw fouls and get free positions. Our defense was playing so tight today that they didn’t get many chances to draw the foul.”
Mia Layne, Taylor Bank, and Sofia Mazariegos all found the net in the first half for Aquinas, which included the trio all scoring once in the final four minutes of action.
Hagerty trailed by three goals at halftime but wouldn’t go away on St. Thomas. After Layne and Mazariegos scored to open the second half to make it 7-2, the Huskies got within two goals thanks to Stacy Glover and Madelyn O’Connor. The two combined to score three unanswered from the 19:05 mark to the 13:55 mark in the second half.
“We settled back down on defense,” Gilligan said. “It was basically trying to beat us one-on-one. They may have changed a little bit to create space, but they were good goals down the alley. (Glover) is a real good player.”
Bank and Layne would end the game with three goals apiece, while Mazariegos added a pair. Joie Safonte scored two goals in the second half, including one at the 2:42 mark to give Aquinas some insurance in the closing minutes.
St. Thomas sophomore Jackie Feldman made many key saves during the contest to hold Hagerty at bay, including one in the final stages to avoid a one-goal game. Feldman cleared the ball and sent it upfield, and shortly thereafter the Raiders were celebrating.
“We knew they were going to try and draw the free positions, so we wanted to try and limit that,” Feldman said. “We played aggressive on defense, and we locked down. That was the best defense we played all season. I’m so proud of everybody on the team. Defense is my jam, so I’m just really proud of everybody.”
The Raiders played on this same turf last season, unable to complete a comeback against Vero Beach in the state semifinals. That loss sat in the mind of Feldman and her teammates that dealt with heartbreak a year ago, and that urge was evident Friday afternoon.
“We’ve been starving since last season,” Feldman said. “We were ready to eat today. We came out there and were lights out. We all knew what it felt like to lose, and the seniors and the juniors know what it’s like to win. Wanting that good feeling and wanting to win was insane today, especially after the loss last year and losing the seniors last year. This year, it’s game time. We were ready.”
This story was originally published May 5, 2023 at 3:40 PM.