Prep Lacrosse: Naples High Girls Lose to St. Stephen’s in Regional Semifinal

A Naples High girls lacrosse team that exceeded expectations fell just two games short of a coveted state finals berth Monday night.

Led by an onslaught of offense and three players who scored at least a hat trick, Bradenton St. Stephen’s beat the Golden Eagles 17-11 at Staver Field, ending Naples’ season and bringing the Falcons to the brink of the state finals.

Naples coach Jayson Saunders felt the game came down to losing the draws to the Falcons (15-5).

“We lost a lot of the 50/50 balls to them,” Saunders said. “They beat us at what they do well. But I think our girls surpassed a lot of people’s expectations. We went far, and the future looks bright for our team.”

The Golden Eagles (20-2) led briefly in the first half early on, but then St. Stephen’s took over and led by five at halftime.