Here's how Mariemont boys lacrosse punched its ticket to the Division II regional final
MARIEMONT, Ohio − The Mariemont boys lacrosse train is right on schedule.
Mariemont has been a Division II powerhouse program in recent years, especially since the Ohio High School Athletic Association sanctioned lacrosse in 2017. The Warriors have won six state championships since 2007 and have appeared in three Division II state championship games (winning in 2017 and 2021) since the 2017 sanctioning.
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The Warriors are now one win away from a sixth consecutive regional championship after defeating Bellbrook, 9-5, in the Division II regional semifinals Monday night at Tom Crosby Field at Kusel Stadium.
Here's how Mariemont advanced.
3 keys to Mariemont's win over Bellbrook
Over the last five regional semifinal victories for Mariemont, the Warriors outscored their opponents (CHCA, Fenwick, Wyoming, Summit Country Day and Seven Hills) by a combined score of 80-22. Mariemont took a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into Monday's match with the visiting Golden Eagles on goals from David Dorsten and Jack Peirol, but the game wouldn't turn into a cruise-control win for the top-seeded Warriors. Bellbrook scored twice over a two-minute span and later took a 3-2 lead with 10:04 left in the first half on a goal from Ben Russell. Bellbrook's Logan Mozingto scored with 32 seconds remaining in the second period to tie it up at 4-4 going into the intermission.
"This time of year, anything can happen. You throw your records out and you just gotta play hard for all four quarters," Mariemont head coach Steve Peterson said. "It was a close, hard-fought game and those guys played well. When everybody is fresh, they're all going fast and that's what happens. They didn't do anything other than make some nice passes and finish off some goals. They did a nice job on ground balls, too. That's really what it was."
When your season is on the line, big-time players tend to rise to the occasion. Dorsten, a senior and the Cincinnati Hills League leader in goals, did just that by finding the back of the net five times, including two in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away late. Dorsten also assisted a first-half score by Peirol, who had two goals on the night. Dorsten scored with 10:17 left in the third period to give Mariemont a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the night. After 10 minutes of scoreless play, Mariemont senior Evan Morgan whipped in a long shot at the 1:12 mark of the third period to give the Warriors a 6-4 lead heading into the final stanza. Morgan added another with 4:23 left, which gave Mariemont its biggest lead of the night.
"You gotta play harder than you’re playing and they did. They did respond and that’s all we can ask for," Peterson said of his team's second-half play.
Bellbrook had scored 34 goals in its previous two playoff games, beating Madeira, 24-1, before squeaking past Fenwick, 11-10. The Golden Eagles' offense attack had its moments in the first half with efficient passes and quality looks at the net, but the Mariemont defense stymied any momentum over the final 24 minutes of regulation. Senior goalkeeper Luke Brennaman ceased numerous shots at the net, especially in the second half with Bellbrook looking to take the lead. Brennaman turned away a point-blank shot with 10:25 left in the third period which led to the go-ahead transition goal from Dorsten just eight seconds later.
"Some nice plays from the seniors today," Peterson said. "We had a nice ground ball from a key freshman in No. 8 (J.P. Bortz); he did a really nice job. We’re just trying to take it one game at a time. That’s how we do it."
What's next?
Mariemont (15-4) will now host No. 2 CHCA in Wednesday's regional championship game with a spot in the Division II state Final Four on the line. CHCA (16-0) kept its perfect season alive on Monday, rallying for an 11-8 victory over No. 4 Indian Hill after trailing by as many as five.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How Mariemont boys lacrosse beat Bellbrook in DII regional semifinals
