Kittredge (6 goals), Medfield claim another title

DIV. 3 GIRLS LACROSSE

Defeat Newburyport, 18-8

Medfield celebrates after topping Newburyport, 18-8, to capture the Div. 3 girls lacrosse state championship. STAFF PHOTO BY STUART CAHILL — BOSTON HERALD

Medfield’s Mia Macropoulos, left, collides with Newburyport’s Emily Chandler during the Div. 3 state girls lacrosse final Friday night. STAFF PHOTO BY STUART CAHILL — BOSTON HERALD

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By Brendan Connelly

Correspondent

WELLESLEY >> It’s pretty safe to say that Izzy Kittredge is having a year to remember.

The junior star turned in her latest heroic performance, sniping six goals as top-ranked Medfield knocked off No. 2 Newburyport for the second straight year in the Div. 3 girls lacrosse championship, 18-8.

“I think it’s really about feeding off of my teammates’ energy,” Kittredge said. “This group, we talked about it earlier, how we didn’t know how this tournament was going to go in the beginning. But we’ve improved so much as a team. I love them so much, and I just feed off of them the whole time.”

Last year, the schools met in the same game, with Medfield winning the title (a 14-10 victory). Early Friday night, it appeared the Warriors might cruise as Kittredge, Kendall Herrick and Mia Macropoulos scored three unanswered goals in the game’s first 3:44 to make it a 3-0 contest.

However, Newburyport (17-4) began to chip away in the later stages of the frame, and the Clippers relied on their senior captains for support. Avery Tahnk netted a goal late in the first quarter before Reese Bromby netted three. The senior captain completed her hat trick with 9:52 left in the half, as Newburyport sliced its deficit to 6-4.

Then Tahnk struck again with 8:54 to play in the second quarter, bringing the Clippers within 6-5.

“I knew that they would come out here and they’d fight hard,” Medfield coach Mary Laughna said. “You don’t want to lose it twice in a row. So I was expecting (Newburyport) to battle hard, and they definitely battled hard. That felt closer than what the score said.”

Kittredge decided to take things over from there. She netted three goals of her own in the stanza, firing home her fifth with 2:23 left in the half as Medfield took a 9-6 advantage into the break.

Once play resumed, the Warriors put things out of reach. Sophia Zeppieri, Stella Scobbo, Herrick and Macropoulos each found twine in the third quarter, and Medfield was in control with a 13-7 advantage.

Kittredge buried her sixth goal with 6:20 remaining, as the Warriors captured their third title in the past four seasons. Only a freshman, Macropoulos added a hat trick for Medfield.

Bromby closed the evening with five goals for Newburyport.

In March, Kittredge finished with 28 points in the final to lead Medfield to a Div. 3 girls basketball title. She has now etched her name in Warriors lore.

“Every state championship feels different,” said Kittredge. “It’s always so much fun, knowing you have gone through a whole tournament together. Just so amazing. You don’t get used to it. It’s an amazing feeling, every time.”