Niwot's Connors leads Mead lacrosse to semifinals

With a district-wide roster and plenty of postseason firepower, the Mead High School girls lacrosse team has earned its place among the final four in the Class 4A state tournament.

After receiving a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed, the Mavericks opened their playoff run at home with a dominant 20-2 win over No. 13 Telluride High School on Thursday, May 8. In front of the home crowd, Mead made it clear early on that the Mavericks meant business, scoring 10 goals in the first half and another 10 in the second.

Leading the charge was senior Lucy Connors, a Niwot High School student who has made a habit of filling up the stat sheet. Connors tallied eight goals in the win, consistently finding gaps in the defense.

She was not the only one making an impact. Junior Emmy Tecu added five goals, while junior Morgan Elson scored four. Sophomore Sophia Shelton contributed two more, and fellow sophomore Lola Wynn, also from Niwot High, added one of her own.

The lopsided victory sent the Mavericks into the quarterfinals two days later, where they hosted No. 5 seed Golden High School on Saturday, May 10. Golden kept things tight early, but Mead's composure and star power helped the Mavericks pull away for a 13-7 win and a spot in the state semifinals.

Once again, it was Connors who stole the show. The senior matched her previous performance with another eight-goal outing, bringing her postseason total to an eye-popping 16 goals in just two games. Elson and Tecu chipped in with two goals each, while Shelton added one more to her name.

With the win, Mead improved to 2-0 in the tournament and earned a highly anticipated semifinal matchup against top-seeded Evergreen High School. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at Englewood High School, with the opening draw set for 5 p.m.

Evergreen will be the toughest opponent Mead has seen this postseason. The No. 1 seed has rolled through its side of the bracket, defeating No. 17 Horizon High School 19-4 in the second round before taking down No. 8 Aspen High School 18-9 in the quarterfinals.

But Mead enters the semifinal with its own wave of momentum and one of the most dangerous scorers in the state in Connors, who is making the most of her final high school season before heading to Bucknell University to play lacrosse this fall.

While Connors has been at the center of the Mavericks' success, the team's strength goes beyond one player. With Tecu and Elson bringing consistency, Shelton providing an underclassman spark, and a deep roster of contributors from across the St. Vrain Valley School District, Mead has found its rhythm at just the right time.