St. Paul's Boys Lacrosse Captures First-Ever Lakes Region Championship in Thriller Over Holderness

Final Score: St. Paul's 15, Holderness 14
Date: May 17, 2025
Location: SPS

For the first time in program history, St. Paul's School boys lacrosse has claimed the Lakes Region Championship, edging out Holderness School in a heart-stopping 15–14 battle on Saturday, May 17. The win marks a monumental moment for Big Red lacrosse, sealing the title in a game that saw lead changes, relentless scoring, and late-game heroics.

Fast Start Sets the Tone

St. Paul's opened the game with intensity, netting five goals in the first quarter to Holderness's four, setting the tone for a back-and-forth contest. Fueled by high-energy ball movement and a fierce transition game, Big Red kept pace with a Holderness squad known for its offensive firepower.

Offensive Leaders Shine

The SPS attack was powered by a trio of standout performances:

• Charles Hepp (#2) led all scorers with 4 goals and 1 assist, finishing with 5 points and converting at a 50% shooting rate.

• Carter Doherty (#9) tallied 3 goals and 3 assists, showcasing his dual-threat ability as both a scorer and facilitator.

• Matias Williams (#24) chipped in with 2 goals and 2 assists, while Finian Kilbourne (#18) added 3 goals, bringing both finesse and grit to the offensive end.

In total, St. Paul's recorded 11 assists on 15 goals, a testament to their unselfish ball movement and offensive chemistry.

Defensive Grit and Goaltending Heroics

Though Holderness outshot St. Paul's 44–36 and had more shots on goal (30–22), Big Red leaned on stellar goaltending from Luka Clark (#11), who racked up 16 saves with a 53.3% save rate — a critical factor in the narrow victory.

Despite losing the ground ball battle (24–30) and facing a more efficient clear game from Holderness (81.3% to SPS's 68.8%), the Big Red defense came up big in key moments, forcing 13 turnovers and limiting Holderness's man-up opportunities.

Special Teams and Execution

In a game filled with penalties (17 total), St. Paul's executed perfectly in man-up situations, converting 2 of 2 extra-man opportunities, compared to Holderness's 4 of 5.

A Historic Finish

Clinging to a one-goal lead in the final minutes, St. Paul's held off a furious Holderness rally in the fourth quarter. Despite being outscored 3–2 in the final frame, Big Red's resilience and composure under pressure sealed the championship.

Postgame Reflections

Head coach Joe Bernier lauded the team's grit: "This team has been working all season for this. They believed in each other, played for each other, and made history together today."

This victory not only marks a milestone in SPS lacrosse history but also signals the hard work put into this program
for many years to get to this level.