Determined and relentless, no denying Walpole girls' lacrosse the Division 2 championship
For a perennial contender appearing in its fifth state title game in the last 10 years, including last spring, Friday's Division 2 girls' lacrosse championship game served as an opportunity to finish what they started.
Walpole didn't squander it, earning a hard-fought, 16-11, victory at Babson College.
UMass-bound senior standout Caitlyn Naughton, senior Jenna Wong, and junior Ava MacLean fueled the No. 2 Timberwolves (25-1) with four goals apiece. Junior twins Emily and Grace Hagan were groundball machines and the glue all night.
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Sophomore Lily Rodgers and senior Molly Trahan led the No. 4 Rockets (21-4) with three goals each, and senior Megan Shanahan scored two. Junior goalie Addy Mathews made 10 saves to keep Reading afloat, but Walpole simply had too much firepower and depth.
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The Timberwolves felt all along like it was finally their moment, and now they have the hardware to prove it.
'We've been knocking at the door many times,' Tosone said. 'It's nice to get in. It really is.'
When it was over, Naughton immediately emerged from the pack and bearhugged Tosone. Tosone, who has coached the program since 2012, grinned from ear to ear and the pacing suddenly disappeared.
'There's no one that deserves it more than that man,' Naughton said. 'He's so hardworking. He's there for us every day. He takes out so much time to be there for us. Honestly, we were doing it for ourselves, and doing it for the seniors, but we were most importantly doing it for him.'
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The Timberwolves bolted to a commanding 6-1 lead early in the second, then the Rockets stormed back to cut it to 6-4 at halftime and tie it at 7 early in the third.
Walpole didn't panic, answering with conviction to snatch momentum for good.
'When it was on the ground, they were beating us to the footrace every time,' said Reading coach Rachel Monroe. 'Obviously their speed is a tremendous attribute to their game. They're ridiculously fast and scrappy.'
Reading, which knocked off three-time defending champion and No. 1 seed Notre Dame (Hingham) in the semifinals, fared admirably in its first state title game appearance.
But Walpole has been building something for years and wasn't to be denied. The heartbreak made the ultimate breakthrough even more gratifying.
'It feels so unreal,' Wong said. 'This year, we knew it was going to be different. We're all super close, and we felt like we had it in us.'
At game's end, Walpole wasted no time celebrating the program's first girls' lacrosse title.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
Reading's Abby Shanahan (9) transitions to offense against a Walpole defender in the Division 2 state final at Babson.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
Walpole's Gianna Frederick (22) and Reading's Lily Rodgers (29) vye for possession.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Globe
The culmination of a 25-1 season: a banner for the Division 2 state champion Walpole girls' lacrosse team.
Heather Diehl for the Boston Glo
Trevor Hass can be reached at
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