Girls lacrosse: Redwood secures NCS title shot with win over rival Marin Catholic
Riley Peterson was running red hot, and her Redwood High teammates were feeding off the senior’s energy Tuesday as the Giants overcame their biggest rival and earned a shot at the North Coast Section Division I championship.
Redwood and Marin Catholic went back and forth for 36 minutes, trading shots and trading the lead in Tuesday’s NCS Division I semifinals, until the host Giants locked down a 13-8 victory with four unanswered goals in the final period. The second-seeded Giants will face No. 1 San Ramon Valley on the road in Thursday’s 7 p.m. NCS D-I championship.
“Riley is our temperature gauge, and she was hot today,” Redwood coach Lauren Yee said. “When she’s dialed in, the whole team is dialed in.”
Peterson stood tall in the faceoff circle against the Wildcats and was credited with four draw controls in Tuesday’s game, and is likely well past the century mark for the season, according to Yee.
“On the faceoffs, I knew where the ball was going and most of the time I was right,” said Peterson, who scored two goals. “The plan was when we won the faceoff to go straight and fast at the goal.”
Claire Johnson scored a team-best four goals with one assist for Redwood. Lucy Jeffers added two goals, an assist and six draw controls. Preston Pewitt and Maya Mihara each scored twice, and Phoebe Miller added a goal and three controls.
Redwood freshman goalkeeper Eva Layton stopped five of 13 Wildcats shots. At the other end, Wildcats goalkeeper Rowan Ward also stopped five shots.
“Nothing rattles Eva,” Yee said. “She has stepped up for us all season.”
Marin Catholic senior Audrey Carr scored three of her four goals in the first period to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Marin Catholic’s Bridget Livermore and Marlee Nies scored in the second period, countered by Redwood goals from Peterson and Jeffers as the Wildcats maintained their slim lead going into halftime.
Mihara snared an overhead pass in traffic and one-timed the ball into the net for they tying goal after 4 1/2 minutes in the third period. Peterson gave the Giants a brief lead, but Marin Catholic’s Brooke Spagnuolo scored back-to-back goals, one while diving across the net, as the Wildcats battled back for a 7-6 lead in the third period.
Johnson responded with a pair of goals, and Miller sliced through to the right side of the net for a 9-7 Redwood lead. Carr’s penalty shot at the buzzer again trimmed the difference on the scoreboard to one goal, now with Redwood leading 9-8.
The Giants secured their third win over the Wildcats as Johnson slipped a shot into the goal while falling with 10 minutes left to play. Pewitt scored twice more, with Mihara added a goal. Once Redwood got possession in the final 2 minutes, the Giants ran out the clock, refusing to give Marin Catholic a chance to steal the win.