Holy Spirit to play in 3rd straight state final Thursday, aiming to finally bring home title (2024)

The Holy Spirit High School girls lacrosse team lost in the state final the last two seasons.

Hanna Watson is one of the many top players on the Spartans who was a part of those previous two squads, and remembers the heartbreaking feeling of walking away empty handed.

Watson does not want that to happen a third time, especially being a senior.

The standout attacker and her top-seeded Holy Spirit teammates will take on second-seeded Montclair Kimberley in the state Non-Public B final at 1 p.m. Thursday at Kean University.

The Spartans (16-3), ranked eighth in The Press Elite 11, lost to Montclair Kimberley in the championship last spring. Holy Spirit lost to Princeton Day in the final in 2022.

“I wanted this title for the past three years and I don’t want to leave without it and I am going to give it my all in the game,” said Watson, 18, of Absecon. “I think we are ready and I couldn’t be more excited to play and have the opportunity to be in the final. But I really want that title.”

Senior defenders Ella Petrosh and Sienna Calhoun, senior midfielder Kendall Murphy, junior midfielder Brielle Soltys, junior goalie Marissa Gras, sophom*ore midfielder Lauren Cella and sophom*ore attackers Taylor Lyons and Laura Livingston are some of the players who have played in at least one state final.

The Spartans are experienced and motivated.

“It definitely helps that we have quite a few girls who played in at least one, if not two, previous state championship finals,” Holy Spirit coach Kylie Primeau said. “Every year we just remember what it feels like to go there and not come home with a championship. We even had some former players who have been talking to the girls. We have been really working on our mindset of we want it.”

Watson agreed.

“I think it’s great we have been to the final the past two years,” the Florida Southern College commit and three-time Press first-team All Star said. “With the experience that we have, we have really been working at practice to adjust what we did in the past and make it better for (Thursday). I think that it’s great we have played in the final because we know what to expect.”

From the start of the season, Holy Spirit wanted to put itself in a position to return to the state final for a third straight season, Primeau said. The fourth-year coach added tough teams to the schedule, including ninth-ranked Southern Regional, Shore Regional, Lenape and Cherokee, which were all wins.

Southern, Lenape and Shore made sectional semifinals, and Cherokee played for a sectional title Wednesday. Holy Spirit’s three losses were to only Ocean City.

“We are very excited,” Primeau said. “We stacked our schedule to be prepared to take it home this year.”

Last season, Montclair Kimberley beat Holy Spirit 14-8 in the final. Both teams have a lot of returners “who continue to progress and get better” and are evenly matched, Primeau said.

“Montclair Kimberley is a very good team,” Primeau added. “It’s definitely going to be a good matchup. We are not going in there thinking we are playing the same team. We are going in there with the focus of playing our game and paying attention to the details and from there we say that success comes.

“Any team that can make it this far in a playoff run are teams that are deserving to be there. A lot of teams were very skilled that we have played in order to get here. But I think the further you go, the harder it gets in terms of just grit and hard work. That’s what we are expecting.

For Watson, playing Montclair Kimberley after losing to the Cougars last spring is “not a revenge thing,” in terms of mindset, she said.

“I think we are not really focusing on who it is,” she said. “Obviously, we need to focus on personnel, but I think we are really just focused on playing our game and not letting that get into our head.”

Watson is confident the Spartans can finally capture the title, mainly because of her teammates.

“I am really proud of my team,” she said. “I am glad that they have helped me get to this point. As a senior, this is all I have. (Wednesday) was my last practice. (Thursday) is my last game in high school. I gave it my all the whole season, and I can’t wait to give it my all and play the hardest I ever played.”

Even though this is the third consecutive season Holy Spirit reached the state final, making it that far is never a guarantee, Primeau said.

“I am really proud of them for getting here,” she said. “I think a lot of times, especially when you have been there two years in a row, people kind of look at you and expect you to be there when, in reality, it’s a new season every year. There’s a lot good teams trying to compete to get there. Just the fact we had the fortitude to push through and play our game and rerun is something I look forward to doing.”