One of the best girls lacrosse rivalries currently resumed with its most recent installment as the Ponte Vedra Sharks hosted the Bartram Trail Bears in a regional semifinal matchup, the third meeting between the schools this year, and this time it was the Bears who finished on top.
The Bears edged out the Sharks 5-4 in a defensive battle with both goalies standing on their heads and making a great save after great save throughout the night.
The Sharks (13-4) had been victorious in the two previous matchups during the regular season and are two of the best teams in the state, which was on full display.
Sophomore goalie Kaitlyn Lease was the MVP of the game as she made several stops during the game, especially during the second half and in the final minute when the Sharks made a furious push and threw everything they had at her offensively with their state title hopes on the line.
However, she proved to be up to the task along with Sharks’ goalie Lexi Rupp, also a sophomore, as both teams were held to a season-low for goals in a game.
The performances by Lease and Rupp showcase the young talent on both teams and that this rivalry is here to stay for years to come.
The Bears led the Sharks 4-2 at halftime and the Sharks came out pushing the pace and getting some prime scoring chances as a result, and they eventually broke through as Grace Raymond fed senior Lamb Toole to cut the lead to one with 1:39 left in the third quarter.
Toole and the Sharks’ faithful thought she tied up the game midway through the fourth quarter as well, but her goal was disallowed due to a penalty, and a couple of minutes later the Bears scored what wound up being the game-winner with 5:20 to play.
