Gilmour Academy denies Wooster late comeback to win Division II regional final
Wooster’s senior class ends three-year run of regional final appearances with narrow home defeat
Gilmour Academy secured a 8-7 victory over Wooster in the Division II lacrosse regional final on Thursday evening, ending the Generals’ season despite a spirited fourth-quarter rally. The match, played at Wooster’s home venue, concluded with Gavin LaPolla scoring the game-winning goal with just nine seconds remaining, silencing a crowd that had witnessed a significant shift in momentum.
Wooster entered the contest as the top seed in their region with a 14-5 record, having won 13 of their last 14 games. They faced a Gilmour Academy side that held a 15-1 record. The Generals trailed 7-4 with approximately six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before mounting their comeback. Drew Thomas scored two goals to cut the deficit, including an outside shot and an outside-inside move, while his brother Jack Thomas added a transition goal to tie the game, prompting a strong reaction from the home supporters.
Despite the equaliser, Gilmour Academy utilised constant body checks and physical defence to disrupt Wooster’s attacking rhythm. Wooster senior Brooks Laughlin noted the intensity, comparing the physicality to hockey and observing that Gilmour Academy had “a lot of hockey guys on that team.” This approach significantly lowered the scoring output compared to the teams’ previous meeting on April 11, which Wooster had won 16-14.
Wooster head coach Reid Delaney cited the physical toll of playing two tough tournament games in three days as a potential factor in the defeat. The Generals had defeated Archbishop Hoban 11-9 on Tuesday, and Delaney acknowledged that the back-to-back physical contests were not ideal for his players’ bodies. He also noted that while his defence performed well in 6-on-6 situations, five of Gilmour’s eight goals came from transition plays.
The loss concludes a successful era for Wooster’s senior class, which has led the program to three consecutive regional finals and a Division II state championship appearance last season. Key players including Laughlin, goalie Liam Ozar, and Kellen Smith are recognised for guiding the team through what Delaney described as the most successful three-year run in the program’s history.
