Video: Undefeated Tiverton Girls' Lacrosse Team Wins 14-11 Over Cumberland In State Semifinals

Even Mother Nature couldn’t slow the girls' lacrosse team's quest for a perfect season.

The Tigers defeated the Cumberland Clippers 14-11 on Wednesday evening in a home game interrupted for 30 minutes by thunder and lightning. The win ran their record up to 16-0 and clinched an appearance the Division II state championship game on Saturday.

Fireworks were set off in celebration of the Tigers first ever appearance in the state title game. They will face the winner of Lincoln and Portsmouth, whose matchup was postponed due to Wednesday's inclement weather.

The weather delay occurred with 10:13 to play in the first half and the score 4-2 in favor of Tiverton. However, the Tigers came back with a surge when play resumed. Spurred on by senior Megan Raposa, who scored 3 of her 4 goals in the first half, they took an 8-3 lead into halftime. Cumberland played well in the second half, cutting the lead to 9-6 at one point and staying competitive throughout, but the high powered Tiverton offense proved to be too much for the Clippers to handle.

“Megan was a real leader on the field” said Tiverton Coach Emily DuBreil. “She is a senior and really did not want this to be her last game. Her determination on the field, encouraging her teammates…she had a very good game.”

Samantha Welchman also scored 4 goals for Tiverton, while Kara Lutz pitched in with 3. Olivia Bergandy scored twice, and Kate Karzenski also tallied a goal for Tiverton.

Tiverton’s speed was apparent throughout, as most of their offense came through streaking fast breaks. However, much of the credit for the win should be given to senior goaltender Alex Azevedo. Azevedo was very good in between the pipes, snuffing out several dangerous scoring chances for Cumberland. The joyous team mobbed their goaltender following the final whistle.

“Alex really came through for us today” DuBreil said. “She played really well in net.”

Tiverton controlled the pace for most of the game, to the delight of a vocal and supportive crowd. “It was good to get the early lead” said Coach DuBreil. “Our offense executed well. We utilized our fast breaks and got good shots. We started slow in the second half, but our offense was able to counter them and keep our momentum.”

The coach noted that her girls are aware of the significance of what they can achieve with one more victory.

“It would mean a lot to them (having a perfect season)," she said. "Our goal going into the season was simply to make the playoffs, but as the season progressed, it became more and more important to keep the record intact. At the same time, they are aware that we have bigger goals in mind.”

The championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday at Rhode Island College.

Download the movie