High school girls lacrosse: Late goal lifts Farmington to 6A championship win over Mountain Ridge

Alexandra MacAulay found Kate Carter with just 90 seconds remaining for the championship-winning goal as the Farmington Phoenix edged out the Mountain Ridge Sentinels 10–9 to capture the first girls lacrosse title in program history Thursday night.

“We have been working so hard for three years and got stuck in the semifinals the last two years,” Carter said. “It feels awesome to score a game winner. Their goalie is so good and I got cooked a couple times, but it felt good to get that one through.”

The first half was a defensive battle, with both teams locking in and refusing to give up easy looks. Mountain Ridge had the better chances, but Phoenix goalkeeper Elle Erickson came up big with a handful of clutch saves to keep the game tight and send it to halftime all square at 3-3.

Erickson praised key teammates for their strong performance, saying, “Ava Grandia and Abby Mertlich were big tonight. I could not have done it without those two. Molli Bell and Tori Davis were incredible. Our core defense was fantastic all night, and we wouldn’t be a great team without that.”

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The Sentinels came out firing in the second half, striking twice in the opening two minutes as Olivia Cannon and Karlee Farnsworth each found the back of the net off sharp feeds from behind the cage.

Moments later, Kalli Guymon extended the lead with a strong finish of her own, pushing the advantage to three.

But a spark from Hailey Larsen began to flip the game, as she scored twice in under a minute to pull Farmington within one and fire up her team.

From there, MacAulay took control of the final period, adding two goals and an assist during a stunning five-minute stretch. Out of nowhere, the Phoenix rattled off a 5-0 run to seize an 8-6 lead early in the fourth quarter.

“I have worked so hard to play in a state championship,” Larsen said. “It’s been four years and countless hours outside of practice, all for this moment. I knew I could do it, and I knew it wasn’t the end of the game, so we just had to keep pushing forward.

“In that game, I was able to spark things up with the help of my teammates. I am so grateful for my team and the opportunity to win a championship.”

MacAulay praised her team’s effort in the final period, saying, “I loved how much energy we had and that we stuck it out to the end. I put full trust in my teammates. We have put in the work this season, and I know I can rely on them at any moment.”

Still, the Sentinels responded well, tying the game with 5:28 to play, and again at the 3:11 mark after Larsen had briefly put Farmington back in front.

But in the end, Carter’s go-ahead goal held up. A crucial draw control followed, and Mountain Ridge was unable to regain possession before the final whistle.

“It was one of the most incredible feelings to watch my teammates succeed all over the field, taking it all in during those final moments,” Erickson said.

“My eyes were glued to the clock. I couldn’t believe we were doing it. I was just so proud of our entire team.”

For Mountain Ridge, this marks the third year in a row in which it has lost in the title game by one goal, while Farmington earned redemption from a March loss to the Sentinels and captured its first championship.

“Mountain Ridge gave us an unbelievable game,” said Phoenix head coach Chris MacAulay. “They came out and played hard with fierceness, toughness and grit.

“Luckily, today we were able to go a little bit further than in our first meeting, which ended with the exact same score, but we were on the other side of that one. I am so happy I got to coach this group of girls, especially our seniors. They were unbelievable. They wanted this so badly, and I am proud they came through for it.”