Topsail girls lacrosse's star power, resilience leading unbeaten playoff run
It's been a long time since the Topsail girls lacrosse team has lost.
Powered by a star-studded lineup that features one of the state's top goal scorers in senior Lillian Austin, the Pirates are 30-1 since last April, falling only to eventual state champion Cardinal Gibbons in last year’s state playoff semifinals.
The Pirates kept their year-long unbeaten streak alive Tuesday, advancing to 20-0 on the season with a 19-12 win over Green Hope in the third round of the NCHSAA 4A East playoffs.
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"Last year was a big milestone for us going to the final four, so we're hoping we can do it again this year," Austin said after netting five goals against the Falcons.
Austin's 110 goals are the third most in the state, according to MaxPreps. The reigning StarNews All-Area Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year sometimes overshadows Topsail's deep supporting cast, which includes juniors Melina Toronto (57 goals, 15 assists) and Avery White (38 goals, 39 assists).
"This season has been great because we've progressed individually and as a group," Toronto, who scored her 100th career goal Tuesday, said.
Topsail cruised to a perfect conference record and MEC title this spring, its second since 2021. While they've put together the area's best performance this season, the Pirates know the playoffs can be unforgiving.
"I don't think we think about it," Topsail coach Courtney Burghardt said of her team's undefeated record. "We made a good run last year, so we know what's at stake: One game could be the end of your season."
"We're not cocky at all," Toronto said. "We push each other to be the best versions of ourselves at all times, and (we try) to be really humble."
Topsail's 2023 season came to an end as Cardinal Gibbons handed the team a decisive 19-4 loss in the 4A East Regional championship last spring. This year, the team isn't underestimating anyone.
"We know the next round will be tough as we played Chapel Hill in the same round last year and it was a one-goal game so we just need to work on what we can fix and dial in," Burghardt said.
Topsail hosts No. 3-seeded Chapel Hill (18-1) in a playoff quarterfinal rematch from a season ago, a game the Pirates edged out 12-10. A win would put the team one game away from a state championship appearance, a spot only Hoggard (2010) has ever reached among local teams.
"This team never gives up. We've been in tough games, we've been down, so just watching them fight every game has been great."
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Topsail girls lacrosse tries for NCHSAA state championship
