HOWELL >> In a match that Detroit Country Day won by nine goals, the Yellowjackets actually had a deficit after one quarter.

Playing in the Division 2 boys lacrosse semifinal at Parker Middle School on Tuesday night, the Yellowjackets faced off with Mattawan, a team it had previously defeated 18-6 early in the season.

The second time around, Mattawan wanted to tell a different story.

The Wildcats led three different times in the first period and held a 3-2 advantage going into the second before Country Day found its offensive groove and scored 10 consecutive goals to take control of the match. From there, the Yellowjackets cruised to a 20-11 victory.

“I have a lot of faith in the guys,” Country Day coach Chris Garland said of his team. “We’ve been together a long time and they’ve played at a high level for a long time. This is a talented team and the guys work hard to get to this point. When one guy starts playing well, everyone starts playing well. They just feed off each other.”

Garland wasn’t surprised by Mattawan’s strong start, as the Wildcats were appearing in their first state semifinal.

“Mattawan had such a great year, and those kids work extremely hard and should be very proud of the season they had. That game was better than the score indicates,” Garland said of Mattawan. “They did a great job of taking the air out of the ball and frustrating us early. They definitely tested us. Coach (Erik) Frank is one of the best coaches in the state.”

The hot streak for DCD (20-3) got started early in the second when senior Joseph Norton got the 10-0 rally started. Junior Mason Gal was the main source behind the scoring, as he had five goals during the rally.

“I got that first shot in and that got me going,” Gal said. “My teammates were doing a good job of feeding me the ball with a chance to score and that is a big reason why I was able to get on a roll.”

Gal would score the final two goals of the first half and the first two of the second half. He ultimately ended up with seven goals, a season high. A 12-goal third period saw Country Day post nine goals and take a 16-6 lead.

“We just started looking for that next pass,” Gal said of why DCD got on a hot streak. “We kept working to get the best shot possible, and when we do that, we usually can put the ball in the net.”

Along with Gal’s seven goals, sophomore Rhys Kenny had four for Country Day, while senior Joseph Norton had three. Mattawan (18-2) was led by Vince Vale, who had five goals. With the victory on Tuesday, Country Day advances to Friday’s Division 2 state final at the University of Michigan. It will face East Grand Rapids, which defeated Forest Hills Northern 20-7 in the other semifinal. DCD will be seeking its second consecutive state title and fifth MHSAA title as a program.

“I’m looking forward to competing against EGR again,” Garland said. “This is two old rivals, two programs that have been playing at a high level for a long time. It should be a great game, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to play for a state championship.”

Country Day faced off with East Grand Rapids back on March 25, suffering a 10-9 road loss. Gal says the team is driven to avenge that loss and collect the hardware.

“We will be very motivated,” Gal said. “We lost the first game, but I am confident we can pull through this time. It’s been a great year with this team and I am looking forward to going out on Friday and leaving it all on the field to win another championship.”