Towson High’s girls lacrosse team took an early lead and maintained it throughout the game, securing a 10-8 win against Catonsville in the regional semifinals.

The Towson girls lacrosse team utilized a well-rounded and controlled offense, along with successful play in the draw circle, to dictate the pace of the game and secure a 10-8 win against Catonsville in the semifinals of the Class 3A North Region I.

Leila Mazhari’s two goals in the first quarter helped Towson take a 2-0 lead. In the second quarter, the Generals furthered their advantage to 4-1 thanks to a goal by Harmon with an assist from Gibson, and another goal by Gibson with an assist from Lily Franklin.

Abby Tartal passed the ball to Fisher in the second quarter, resulting in a score that narrowed the lead. However, this was the closest the Comets were able to get for the remainder of the game.

Objectives: Chloe Gibson, Finlay Harmon, Madden SySantos, Leila Mazhari, and Lily Holman each scored 2 goals, while Gabi Galvez and Olive Auvil scored 1 goal each for Team Tow. Casey Fisher scored 4 goals, Kate Roberson scored 3 goals, and Maeve Miller scored 1 goal for Team Cat. The assists were made by Gibson (3), Harmon (1), Holman (1), Franklin (1), Tartal (2), and Welsh (1). Auvil made 7 saves for Tow, while Ava Bruns made 6 saves for Cat.

Harmon stated that our collaborative efforts and effective communication greatly contributed to our success in our draws.

During the last quarter, the Comets had three comebacks to narrow the score to within two goals. With only five minutes remaining, Maeve Miller scored, making it 8-6. However, SySantos obtained the ground ball from Harmon’s next draw and scored after a rebound from Gabi Galvez’s shot, giving Towson a 9-6 lead with 3:28 left in the game.

Besides getting points, Harmon was persistent when it came to winning possession in the draw zone.
In the final moments of the third quarter, Towson gained even more momentum as Lily Holman scored with under 10 seconds left, assisted by Gibson. This brought the score to 7-3 going into the fourth quarter.

Carhart commended Gibson and Harmon for their exceptional performance in maintaining the offensive momentum.

“I have found that Chloe is a reliable player in every game. While everyone is prone to making mistakes, Chloe and Finlay are both valuable members of our team. When one person makes a mistake, someone else is always ready to step up. We are a well-rounded team and pose a threat on the field, which makes us difficult to defeat,” she stated.

Harmon stated that our team put a strong emphasis on ourselves during this game. We were aware that we needed to have high energy and intense concentration. We recognized that Catonsville was a skilled team, so we were fully prepared and eager to continue working together as a cohesive unit.

Gabi Galvez of Towson High School celebrates scoring a goal against Catonsville along with her teammates Madden SySantos, Leila Franklin, and Chloe Gibson in the fourth quarter. (Photo by Kenneth K. Lam)Catonsville — 0 1 2 5 — 8

This allowed the Generals to dictate the tempo, unlike their previous encounter with the Comets, which resulted in a 14-13 defeat.
Olive Auvil, the goalie for Towson, celebrates with Hannah Mazhari on her left after their victory over Catonsville by a score of 10-8 in the semifinals of the Class 3A North Region girls lacrosse tournament.

While Harmon was not retrieving the draw, SySantos was busy picking up ground balls.

During the second and third periods, Catonsville had a total of six chances for a free shot, but only managed to convert one of them.

Catonsville’s Kate Roberson puts a point on the scoreboard against the Towson goalie Ilive Auvil during the third quarter. However, despite her efforts, Towson ultimately secured the win with a final score of 10-8 in the Class 3A North Region girls lacrosse semifinals. (Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

The team always remains focused and determined, even in the fourth quarter when the opposition scores. They believe they can always come back strong and never give up. Harmon expressed this mentality saying, “The fourth quarter is ours.”Towson’s Finlay Harmobn, left, shoots and scores against Catonsville in the fourth quarter. Towson defeat Catonsville 10-8 in Class 3A North Region girls lacrosse semifinals. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

“Our team achieved a tie, we collaborated and we executed a controlled offensive strategy as required,” stated Towson coach Taylor Carhart.
During the game, Olive Auvil, the team’s goalie, made seven important saves and received support from her teammates in front of her.Towson’s Chloe Gibson, right, gets past Catonsville’s Sydney Mah to score in the second quarter. Towson defeat Catonsville 10-8 in Class 3A North Region girls lacrosse semifinals. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

Harmon emerged victorious in the following draw, however after a change in possession, Fisher netted the last point of the game with less than a minute remaining. Harmon secured the final draw and the Generals successfully exhausted the remaining time on the clock.

“We were forced to adapt to a new style of play and I believe we were able to match the pace. However, we struggled to score. Every time we tried to get a streak going, something would interfere with it. Our team relies on building runs and riding the momentum, but unfortunately we were unable to do so today,” stated Cantey Bailey, the coach of Catonsville, in regards to their performance.

Chloe Gibson contributed two goals and three assists, Finlay Harmon had two goals and one assist, Madden SySantos scored two goals, and Leila Mazhari also had two goals, leading the Generals (7-6). The Comets were powered by Casey Fisher with four goals and Kate Roberson with three goals.