MIAA Boys Lacrosse State Championships: St. John's Prep, Billerica Achieve Winning Goals; Scituate, Norwell Back On Top

The MIAA Boys Lacrosse Championships found a new home for 2025, with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy playing host to the four-game slate on Saturday, June 14. One school continued its dynasty, another made it three wins in four years, while two more ended championship droughts extending back into the decade of the 2000s.

Here is a look at all the action:

Division 1

It’s a high five for Saint John’s Preparatory School, but this year’s championship perhaps was the toughest of them all.

Senior Luke Kelly scored in overtime to give No. 2 seed St. John’s Prep its fifth consecutive championship in an 8-7 battle over Catholic Conference rival and No. 1 seed Boston College High School.

Kelly was the eighth different scorer for Prep, who prevailed in the matchup of Eagles for the fourth time in five years on the biggest stage. But BC High nearly turned the tables as junior Murphy Belvin and senior Nick Emsing scored in the final minute to tie the game and force overtime.

After falling behind 3-0 early, St. John’s Prep got untracked and rode the goaltending of junior Mattheu Du Plessis (16 saves). Prep also won both regular-season meetings, including one finishing 7-6 in overtime.

Nick Emsing scored three goals and junior TJ Emsing made 13 saves for BC High.

Division 2

In what was the highest scoring championship game in MIAA Boys Lacrosse history, sophomore Jackson Gearin saved the best for last. Gearin’s goal with nine seconds remaining put No. 1 seed Billerica Memorial High School over the top in its 17-16 thriller over No. 6 Reading Memorial High School.

Billerica never trailed, but Reading rallied from an 11-4 halftime deficit and eventually pulled even as senior Nate Mulvey made it a 16-16 game with 49 seconds to go.

Gearin then converted a feed from senior Adam Priest for Billerica, which won the program’s second championship, with the other coming in 2001. The 33 combined goals snapped the previous record of 30.

Junior Braden Martin had three goals and three assists, and senior Cameron Penti three goals for the Indians.

Senior Zach Lindmark (5 goals, 2 assists) and junior Nick Casarano (4 goals, 2 assists) had big games for the Rockets, who were looking for their second D2 title in three years.

Division 3

No. 5 seed Scituate High School earned its first championship since 2009, jumping out to a first-half lead and then holding off No. 3 seed Falmouth High School, 9-4.

Junior Luke Spaulding was a spark with his three goals and assist, helping the Sailors grab a 7-2 halftime lead. That was more than enough offense as senior Lydon O’Brien made 13 saves.

Falmouth closed it to 7-4 in the third quarter, but Scituate got solid contributions from seniors Owen Hofford (two goals, assist), Willy Robinson (two goals), and Quinn DeCourcey (goal, assist) to hold on for its third state championship after falling short vs. Medfield a year ago.

Falmouth was in a state final for the second time in three years, still chasing its first title. The Clippers got two goals from senior Connor Cusolito, and one apiece from junior Travis Smith and freshman Jackson Smith.

Division 4

No. 3 seed Norwell High School avenged a regular-season overtime loss to rival Cohasset and earned the program’s third state championship in four years with an 11-6 victory.

Junior Matt Panttila had four goals and an assist to spark the Clippers, who dropped a tight 12-11 battle to their South Shore League rival on May 19. But in this one, Norwell jumped out early behind a pair of goals from junior Jake McGuirk and never trailed.

Senior Joey McCarthy also scored twice for Norwell, which added a D4 crown to the program’s back-to-back Division 3 championships from 2022 and 2023.

No. 1 seed Cohasset, which also won the last of its six state championships in 2023, got two goals from junior Tim Donovan. Senior Lincoln Pattison made 11 saves for the Skippers.