By Nathan Max
WSL Executive Editor

The fourth time was the charm for the Nerinx Hall lacrosse team. After losing in the last three state championship games, the Markers finally picked up their first state title Saturday afternoon to cap the most competitive season in the history of Missouri girls lacrosse.

Junior middie Emily Behr registered a game-high six points on four goals and two assists to lead Nerinx Hall to an 11-8 victory over Ursuline Academy in the Missouri State High School Activities Association title game at Lindenwood University.

“Truly, words can’t express how I felt at that moment,” when the game ended, said Nerinx Hall head coach Jody Patterson, who coached all three of the Markers’ state-title game defeats. “They really wanted it and took it upon themselves to achieve this goal and make it happen.”

Nerinx Hall (16-2) trailed by a goal early in the second half before using a 5-1 run during a five-minute stretch to take control.

Junior attack Troy Cragen added four points on three goals and one assist, senior middie Lauren Boland had a goal and an assist and senior defender Emily Anglo, senior attack Dory Finney and senior attack Laura Hampel all scored once to round out the offense for Nerinx Hall.

Defensively, junior goalie Lizzie Puzniak saved 12 shots.

In defeat, senior attack Lexi Warner and senior middie Lindsey Brown each scored twice for Ursuline Academy (15-5), which fell short in its bid for its second state title and first since 2003.

Nerinx Hall had a 14-6 advantage in draw controls, and the Markers won 10-of-12 in the second half. That was the major catalyst for the team’s turnaround after an evenly played opening 25 minutes.

“That was beautiful to see in the second half,” Patterson said.

The game was tied, 4-4, at halftime, and Ursuline scored first in the second half to take a 5-4 lead. But that would be the last time the Bears were in front.

Behr scored to tie the game, 5-5, with 14:39 to play in regulation, sparking a game-changing run. By the time Boland scored with 9:52 to play, Nerinx Hall led 9-6 and the Markers maintained at least a two-goal edge the rest of the way.

Nerinx Hall led 10-8 when Behr scored with just seven seconds remaining to put an exclamation point on a championship title.

“In the first half, we were just playing with Ursuline,” Patterson said. “We weren’t playing to our potential. At halftime, I just drilled it into their heads that we needed to play our game. We started passing and catching as a team, and you could see the motivation in the second half.”