OKEMOS - For the fifth year in a row, the East Grand Rapids girls lacrosse
team topped Okemos in the state semifinals.

This time, the Pioneers doubled the Chiefs’ score and won, 14-7, in the game that took place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Forrest Hill Central High School.

Lindsay Duca and Auden Elliot played a big part in the Pioneers’ win, creating opportunities and finding the open spot in front of the goal.

“This year we didn't know how good we would be this year, because we'd lost so many great players but we have a lot of great players that are coming up so we're still in it and we're going to the big dance on Saturday,” East Grand Rapids head coach Rich Axtell said.

East Grand Rapids opened the scoreboard with a, 3-0, lead and had no mercy on Okemos as they kept on strong on the offensive side.

Duca, carrying the ball around the back of the net, is quick to find Julia Sherman on the right side of the goal, Sherman catches the pass.

East Grand Rapids puts one more on the scoreboard.

The pass from Duca goes to Elliot this time, who is right in front of the net.

Elliot throws it in way past the Chiefs’ goalie.

Okemos is able to answer before halftime.

With no assist, Melaina Grewal gets one of the Chiefs’ goal.

Halftime strikes and the Pioneers are up, 11-2, leading to the fifth year straight that the Chiefs aren’t able to pass East Grand Rapids in this level of competition.

"Well it's sort of a programmatic thing,” Axtell said. “We've had a lot of different teams, obviously over the last four years and the main thing we have a really good feeder program at our 78er level and it just keeps providing us with good athletes.”

In the second half, Okemos is able to find the net a few more times and tighten up its defense.

Angela Palmer and Haley Mayes score two of the Chiefs’ five goals in the second half, making their finals score seven.

The Pioneers try to keep scoring, but they can only get three more after halftime.

Final score of the game leading to the state final is 14-7.

With a young team, East Grand Rapids is able to add on to their streak against the Chiefs.

“You know we graduate some, but we have others stepping up,” Axtell said. “You know we lost 12 seniors last year, seven starters but we have some sophomores and some freshmen who have stepped up big for us this year, and last year's sophomores are now juniors and they're all playing well so it's been fun to see this year.”

In the big dance, as Axtell said, the Pioneers will face Cranbrook at the state finals.

"Cranbrook's a really good team. We've played them a couple times this year. They have some amazing players; they've got two All-Americans on their team this year. They've got two really strong players but a really strong team around them. They're really athletic, and we're going to be really tested. So we'll tweak a few things but it's going to be a dogfight, I know that, for sure,” Axtell said.

The girls lacrosse Division 2 state final will be at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 11 at Brighton High School.