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An undefeated regular season and a Section 7 championship earned the Chisago Lakes girls lacrosse team a return trip to the state tournament, but a pair of tough matchups against metro powers brought the Wildcats' memorable season to a close last week.

Despite entering state without a loss, Chisago Lakes was seeded eighth and drew top-seeded Minnetonka in the quarterfinals at White Bear Lake Area High School on Tuesday, June 9. The Wildcats showed early they belonged on the same field as the tournament favorite, hanging with the Skippers through the first half before a rough third quarter proved to be the difference in a 13-5 loss.

Minnetonka led just 2-1 after the opening quarter and held a narrow 6-4 advantage at halftime.

Naomi Eaton sparked the Wildcats' offense with two goals and two assists in the game. Linnea Carlson added two goals, and Camryn Hinsch also scored as Chisago Lakes consistently answered Minnetonka's early runs.

The Wildcats appeared poised to make a game of it heading into the second half, but a Skipper surge took control after the break.

Minnetonka outscored Chisago Lakes 5-0 in the third quarter to turn a two-goal game into an 11-4 advantage. That stretch ultimately decided the contest.

Carlson scored her second goal of the game in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats could not recover from the third-quarter rout.

Goalie Michaela Altendorf kept Chisago Lakes competitive throughout the game, recording 10 saves against a potent Minnetonka attack that generated 23 shots on goal. 

The loss dropped the Wildcats into the consolation bracket, where they faced fifth-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall on Thursday, June 9. The Raiders lost a tight 10-9 contest against Edina in the first round of state.

The ‘Cats battled one of the state's top programs but found themselves trying to overcome an early deficit. The Raiders built a 4-2 lead after the first quarter and carried a 6-3 advantage into halftime before pulling away for an 11-6 victory.

Hinsch and Katelyn Anderson each scored twice for the Wildcats. Alexandra Smothers and Raeann Goehring added goals, while Eaton handed out three assists.

Chisago Lakes remained within striking distance for much of the contest, trailing 8-5 after three quarters, but Cretin-Derham Hall closed the game with a 3-1 fourth-quarter edge to seal the deal.

The Raiders were led by Lilly Selander, who scored seven goals. Cretin would go on to lose the consolation championship game to Wayzata, 7-6.

While the season ended with back-to-back losses for CL, the Wildcats have little reason to hang their heads. They put together one of the finest seasons in program history, finishing the regular season undefeated, winning another Mississippi 8 Conference championship and capturing the section title for the second year in a row.

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