Reading holds off Hingham, gets champ Walpole next in Division 2 girls’ lacrosse final

BURLINGTON — Nursing a one-goal lead with 30 seconds remaining and momentum on Hingham’s side, the Reading girls’ lacrosse squad needed one draw control to seal a thrilling victory.

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Freshman Maddie Rodgers skillfully flung the ball to junior Abby Shanahan, who passed it to classmate Lily Rodgers. That secured an 8-7 triumph in a Division 2 semifinal Monday night.

“Great players come up with great plays when we need them,” said Reading coach Rachel Monroe. “They showed they could be that tonight.”

Wofford-bound Lily Rodgers led the way with five goals for the unblemished No. 2 Rockets (22-0). Reading led through three, 8-5, before Hingham’s Vivien Nicholas (3 goals) sliced the deficit to two and Kylie McAloon trimmed it to one.

The No. 3 Harborwomen (20-3) nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback, but Reading provided the finishing touches to earn a rematch with top-seed, defending champion Walpole on Wednesday (6:45 p.m.) at Babson College.

Lily Rodgers gave the Rockets a 2-1 edge through one quarter, then Mia Milligan, Maeve Maroney, and their Hingham teammates answered to tie it at 5 at halftime.

Liza O’Brien, Shea Cullen, and goalie Addy Mathews fueled a pivotal third quarter for Reading, then the Rockets played keepaway to keep dancing.

“We’ve been in these positions before, where we’ve had to hold the lead,” Lily Rodgers said. “It’s definitely something we prepare for, and we realize we have to trust each other, give the ball to each other, and wear down the other team.”

Sometimes, running out the clock is simply a formality; in this case, it was a war of attrition that came down to the very end.

Hingham coach Carla Farkes highlighted the hustle of Aria Giardino and the heart of her entire team.

“There’s a lot of these kids that are really resilient and never give up,” Farkes said. “I’m really proud of that. Kids found ways to make plays.”

For Lily Rodgers, it was “literally a dream” to see her sister secure the winning draw. After countless battles in the backyard, they’re bringing their firepower to a grand stage.

Afterward, as the Rockets soaked in the moment, Monroe reminded them that the biggest celebration was yet to come. While they’re delighted to head into the final undefeated, she doesn’t want to reflect on the journey just yet — with a full-circle crack at redemption on the horizon.

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“They had that mind-set: how romantic to get back there,” Monroe said.

Walpole 11, Duxbury 8 — Walpole coach Mike Tosone puts his players in the best possible position to succeed. But there’s one ingredient Tosone knows can’t be taught.

“Walpole girls are tough as bleep,” Tosone said. “They really are. There’s something in the water. Female athletes in Walpole, they’re talented and they’re tough. I’m the beneficiary of that.”

The top-seeded Timberwolves (20-2) trailed, 7-6, late in the third quarter before rattling off five straight goals to seize command and dispatch the No. 4 Dragons (16-6). New Hampshire-bound senior Ava MacLean poured in six, including two in the fourth quarter, and Emily Dunn and Emily Hagan added two apiece.

“We said that if we play our game and we play at our pace, we don’t think anybody can keep up with us,” MacLean said. “That was the message going into the fourth. We absolutely dominated the fourth quarter.”

Gabby Fisher and Anna Fletcher paced Duxbury with two goals each, and freshman goalie Sami Collentro kept the Dragons afloat.

The Timberwolves led at halftime, 5-4, and tied it at 7 on a Grace Hagan delivery with 15 seconds left in the third. MacLean then gave Walpole the lead for good early in the fourth, and the Timberwolves ran out the clock from there.

After a one-goal win over Duxbury in the regular season, the Timberwolves understood it would be far from a breeze.

“We knew, for sure, that we were going to have to dig deep,” Tosone said. “There was no doubt about it. We were prepared for a struggle, and it was a struggle.”

How does this run to the title game compare to last year’s championship run? Tosone replied: “You can’t compare your children.”

MacLean said this journey is special because there were doubters after the Timberwolves graduated firepower from a year ago.

“This year, it’s all about proving people wrong,” MacLean said.

For Duxbury, which broke through for its first semifinal berth since 2023, it was an agonizing end to a memorable spring. Coach Colby Bartro made it clear the final game doesn’t define the season.

“It didn’t go our way today, but toward the end, when we knew it would be a stretch, we just asked that they gave everything they had and left nothing in the tank,” Bartro said. “They did just that.”

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