No more heartbreak for Towson girls lacrosse

Towson High girls lacrosse team’s championship angst ended Monday. The No. 11 Generals captured the Baltimore County championship with a 16-4 rout of Dulaney on their home turf.

Brigid Vaikness finished with five goals and an assist for the Generals (10-1 overall), and junior attack Gabi Galvez added four goals. Heidi Schmidt scored twice for Dulaney.

Towson raced out to a 7-1 halftime advantage en route to its first league championship since 2009. Avery Briggs had two goals for the Generals.

A year ago, Towson was recovering from a stunning come-from-in-front loss to Hereford in the Baltimore County final at Catonsville. The Generals had a 11-1 lead before Hereford rallied to force overtime.

The Bulls won, 13-12, in double overtime.

“I brought it up but I don’t like to bring up the past too much. We focus on what’s in front of us,” said Towson coach Taylor Carhart. “That’s exactly what the girls did. I am just so proud of them. Every single one of them came to work today.”

Vaikness found cutting a Briggs with a crisp pass, and Briggs deposited it for a 1-0 General advantage. Vaikness would score four of the next six goals Towson, leading to a 7-1 halftime advantage.

Sophomores Leila Mazhari and Finlay Harmon and junio Lilywynn Holman, Clara Fitch and Chloe Gibson also tallied for Towson, which defeated Dulaney, 11-9, last month.

It was entirely different match Monday for Dulaney coach Kristi Korrow, who Vaikness was the difference.

“Number 12 (Vaikness) really took control of the game, from draw controls to drives on the cage. We didn’t contain her early enough,” said Korrow. “We made a lot of mistakes, and we didn’t take advantage of theirs.”

“When it’s a big game like this you’ve got to put it all out there,” said Vaikness, who will play for Loyola University next spring.

The Generals’ breakthrough is a definite boost heading into the state postseason. Towson will play Franklin or Kenwood in the Class 3A North Region 2 semifinals Friday.

“I think they know what it takes to win. Lucky for me I’ve been in this position before. I know exactly what it takes to win,” said Carhart, whose team last won a state title in 1997 (2A/1A). “I’m just so proud of them for coming out and just believing in each other, and working for the win. I told them you deserve it, you just have to earn it. "