York Wildcats Secure Spot in Fourth Consecutive State Lacrosse Championship

TOPSHAM, Maine – The York High School boys lacrosse team has demonstrated impressive scoring prowess throughout the season. On Tuesday, June 16, the third-seeded Wildcats clinched a place in the Class B state championship with an 11-6 semifinal victory over the tenth-seeded Kennebunk at Mount Ararat High School.

“(Getting to the state championship) has been the goal all year long,” said York coach Bill McNamara. He acknowledged the challenges faced during the season, noting that the team struggled at times to find cohesion. “We had some bumps in the road this season. It wasn’t there in April, but we started to see it come together in May, and in June we are playing very well as a team.”

With this win, York (12-6) will now prepare to face off against fourth-seeded Marshwood on Friday, June 19, at Memorial Stadium in Portland. Marshwood earned their championship spot with a narrow 11-10 victory over top-seeded Greely. “Marshwood is definitely a rival, and we’ve had a lot of good games with them over the years,” McNamara commented. “But I don’t think the kids will have any extra motivation. It’s for the championship. No matter who we played, they would be fired up.”

York started the game strong, establishing a commanding 6-1 lead by halftime, while their defense effectively stifled Kennebunk's attempts at a comeback. Despite trailing by five at the break, Kennebunk put up a fight in the second half, outscoring York 5-4. However, York's defense, supported by 11 saves from goalie Brendan Dowling, was able to maintain their lead. “Kennebunk came back in the second half, but I was proud of the way the guys weathered the storm and came through in the end,” McNamara said. “They showed a lot of grit and made big plays to keep us in the lead.”

Noah Stone led York's balanced offensive effort with three goals and an assist, while Tyler Moores contributed two goals and two assists. Brett Aceto finished with a goal and three assists, and Ben Ring added two goals and an assist. Cooper Dodge and Parker Humphrey also scored, with additional assists coming from Dodge, Aiden Mello, and Henry Mirick. Coach McNamara emphasized the team's depth, stating, “That’s one of the great things about this team. Usually a team has a couple of superstars, but with us, there aren’t a few guys who stand out above the rest. On any given day, different guys can step up, and that’s on both offense and defense.”