Mariemont girls lacrosse falls to St. Francis DeSales in state semis

CENTERVILLE − The girls lacrosse season is over for Greater Cincinnati programs after Mariemont's bid for a state championship came up short on Wednesday, June 3.

Making its first state appearance since winning back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022, Mariemont's season ended in heartbreaking fashion as St. Francis DeSales notched a goal in the final minute for a 14-13 win in the OHSAA Division II state semifinals at Centerville's Alumni Stadium.

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"It's hard. Only one team at the end of the season gets to end with a win. You put so much into it," Mariemont head coach Kevin Ferry said after an emotional postgame talk with his team. "You want them to put everything they have into the game. When you do that, it's only natural that when it doesn't go your way at the end, that all comes spilling out."

Caroline Cross, a Butler University commit, scored a game-high six goals for the Stallions, none bigger than the game-winner with 33.9 seconds remaining.

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Mariemont, which had tied the game at 13-13 with 1:22 remaining on a Nellie Deeter goal, had a chance to tie it again in the final seconds. Deeter's penalty shot was stopped by DeSales' sophomore goalie Mackenzie Kitchen to clinch the Stallions' return to Columbus.

"Honestly, I didn't watch it. I turned around," DeSales head coach Joe Finotti said. "I just wanted to go with the roar of the crowd. It was a pleasant surprise."

The final-second save ended a thriller between two heavyweights fighting for a spot in the Division II state championship game. Mariemont had a 4-2 lead early in the second quarter, but DeSales ripped off a 6-2 run over the final nine-plus minutes to take an 8-6 lead into halftime. Campbell Heald scored twice in that stretch to tie it 4-4 and the Stallions got unassisted tallies from Cross, Lillie Bogan and M.C. Willison to pull in front at the intermission.

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DeSales had two-goals leads in the second (twice), third and fourth quarters, but Mariemont had an answer each time as the two state hopefuls traded momentous spurts. Deeter led Mariemont with five goals while Piper Farrell and Demaree Vianello each scored twice.

"One of our core values is grit," Ferry said. "It sounds arrogant, but I don't expect anything less from our girls. This is the way they go about their business and I'm very proud of them."

Finotti added: "I respect the hell out of Kevin (Ferry). We've been battling each other, I think, since 2015. We've won some; they've won some. He's a great coach. I wish nothing but the best for their program."

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Senior sendoff

Mariemont's season ends at 19-3. The Warriors entered the state Final Four on a 12-game winning streak having not lost since falling to DeSales, 10-7, in April. Mariemont's seniors included Olivia Riportella, Jane Muller, Emma Dorsten, Charlotte Soller, Caroline Pember and Lily Billups.

"Such great leadership and great examples. I don’t get to keep the kids. I have to let them graduate, but I want to keep a little bit of them here every year," Ferry said. "I want the girls to leave a little bit of what they’ve learned from the girls who came before them so that as a program we continue to grow and mature. We don’t just graduate all of our talent and start a rebuild. This has been a special group."

Over the last four seasons, Mariemont went a combined 59-20. The Warriors lost a regional championship in overtime in 2023 and were bounced in the regional semifinals the last two seasons before this spring's regional title run.

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"I feel like we're consistently competitive, but it was good to get back to this game. I feel like this is where we belong," Ferry said. "We're always graduating seniors we love and we're gonna miss them dearly, but I feel like as a program, we're in a good place. Each time you come back to this, the program grows and becomes more confident and develops a little more swagger. It becomes that much more of a drive to get here again."

DeSales is one win away from 3-peat

DeSales (21-1) hasn't lost since falling to Upper Arlington, which will play for a Division I state title, in March. DeSales, a four-time state champion (2016, 2019, 2024, 2025), is one victory away from a three-peat.

The Stallions will play Bay Village Bay in the Division II state championship game at 4 p.m., Sunday, June 7, at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mariemont girls lacrosse falls to St. Francis DeSales in state semis