Monroe tops Onondaga for regional title

SYRACUSE - As is often the case when the Monroe and Onondaga women's lacrosse teams play, the two squads take turns grabbing momentum.

Sunday's Region III Championship was no different. The teams battled back and forth all afternoon, but two key runs by Monroe to end each half was enough to send the Tribunes to their sixth consecutive regional title.

MCC (16-0) closed the first half on a 7-0 run, and answered a second-half Lazer uprising with the final four goals of the game en route to a 14-7 win and the program's ninth Region III title overall. Both teams advance to next weekend's NJCAA tournament, which will be hosted by Monroe.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Nicole Beatson scored twice during the run that closed the opening half and finished with three goals and an assist to spark the Tribunes, who have now won 65 straight games. Christie Hahn also added three goals and an assist, including the game's final two scores that put Onondaga away for good.

After a Dana Isaacs goal put Monroe up 1-0 less than two minutes into the game, the Lazers responded with a pair to take the lead. MCC then rattled off seven straight to close out the half and take an 8-2 lead into the locker room.

The run started with Zoe Hendricks scoring with Monroe up a player after an Onondaga yellow card. Morgan Hollenbeck and Hahn followed with goals less than three minutes apart to put the Tribunes up 4-2.

Beatson then scored twice, and Devon McKercher and Hollenbeck once each as Monroe took control.

OCC struck first in the second half before Beatson and Elle MacMillan scored to make it 10-3 Monroe. That's when the Lazers turned up the intensity.

Four different Onondaga players scored during a 4-0 run that spanned over 10 minutes to bring OCC within 10-7. However, those would be the final goals the Lazers would score.

Taylor Excell stopped the run with a score with just under 12 minutes remaining to make it 11-7. Isaacs made it a five-goal lead five minutes later, and Hahn scored twice in the final minute to put it away.

Sarah Brown made seven saves for the Tribunes. Brown, Hahn, and McKercher joined Beatson on the all-tournament team.