Lacrosse title for Washington Township

On a Washington Township girls' lacrosse team that scores goals in bunches, the other part of the game - keeping the ball out of the net - sometimes is overlooked.

Yet none of the Minutemaids takes for granted the work of senior goalie Devyn Mulholland - with good reason.

Mulholland saved 14 shots as No. 2-seeded Washington Township defeated No. 4 Cherokee, 10-9, in yesterday's gem of a South Jersey Group 4 championship game.

It was the first sectional title for the Minutemaids, who are ranked No. 6 in today's Inquirer South Jersey Super Six lacrosse poll. Washington Township will play Bridgewater-Raritan at 10 a.m. Saturday at Robbinsville for the state Group 4 championship.

It took a big effort to oust defending champion Cherokee, which is 11-6.

Township (15-4) and Cherokee have established a compelling rivalry, and it's not over this year. The two are very much alive in the Olympic Conference American Division race and will face each other Wednesday in a makeup game at Cherokee.

Earlier this year, Washington Township scored a 16-15 overtime win against the Chiefs.

"I think we are a thousand times better than when we faced them earlier this year," said Mulholland, who will attend Bloomsburg and continue to play lacrosse.

If that's the case, what does that say about Cherokee?

The Chiefs played a great game. Had Mulholland not made several outstanding saves, the outcome could have been different.

"She stepped up and really picked us up," said Township senior Alyse Maiden, who did the same by scoring a team-high four goals.

Mulholland's performance yesterday was something that Township coach Sandy Stockl has become accustomed to.

"I believe she is the best goalie in the state," Stockl said.

For the longest time, Cherokee was doing the heavy lifting. The Chiefs took an 8-6 lead when Megan Kehoe scored her second of two consecutive goals with 17 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the second half.

Maiden, who has 59 goals, tied the score with two quick goals. Township then got goals from Kirstyn Urbas and Erin Waller for a 10-8 lead with a little more than five minutes left.

Cherokee's Brittani Keys scored her fourth goal of the game to cut the margin to 10-9 with 2:35 to go.

After that, Washington Township controlled play, eventually running out the clock before running to midfield in a victory celebration.

Cherokee 5 4 - 9

Washington Township 5 5 - 10

Goals: C-Brittani Keys 4, Kristen Thomson 2, Megan Kehoe 2, Melissa Arthur. W-Alyse Maiden 4, Tori Jordan 2, Kirstyn Urbas 2, Nicole Kovacs, Erin Waller. Saves: C-Molly McMeramin 7, W-Devyn Mulholland 14.