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Sports

Marian Scores Easy 13-6 Win Over Grosse Pointe North

Eight Mustangs score in regional semifinals to set up showdown with Birmingham United on Friday.

TROY – The Marian girls varsity lacrosse team’s balanced offensive attack was too much to handle for Grosse Pointe North on Wednesday in the Division 1 regional semifinals.

A strong first half helped propel the Mustangs to a 13-6 win and advance them to the regional finals on Friday against rival Birmingham United.

Marian blitzed Grosse Pointe to start the game with 10 straight goals. Seven different players scored on the 10-0 run as the Norsemen struggled to adjust to the Mustangs speed and spacing.

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“Our kids are starting to really pick it up in the beginning (of games),” Marian coach Ginny Heth said. “A lot of teams, including us, struggle in the beginning and get off to a slow start and come back. We’ve changed that over the season. I’m really happy about that.”

Alessandra Dietz and Antonia Violante, the team’s leading scores, each had three goals. And Janie Obee added two.

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“If you are not right on their players, running hard, playing heads up defense you have no hope,” Grosse Pointe North coach Bill Seaman said. “They’re clearly a fast team, great ball handlers, they made those opportunities.”

Defensively, Marian was just as strong in the opening half. Marian limited the Norsemen to only four shots and didn’t allow a goal until there was 90 seconds left in the half.

“We were covering them everywhere in the first half,” Heth said.

Mackenzie Seaman scored Grosse Pointe North’s first goal. The coach’s daughter scored 71 goals in the regular season and tried her best to keep the Norsemen in the game. She added five more goals in the second half. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the 10-1 halftime deficit.

“I think they are the best team in this regional,” Seaman said.

Now Marian turns it attention to a familiar foe — Birmingham United. Birmingham eliminated the Mustangs in the opening round of regionals 16-13 last season and beat them 13-11 in the Division 1 state finals two years ago.

“There’s no love loss (between the teams),” Heth said.

In the regular season the Mustangs beat Birmingham 9-8, but this matchup has added importance. Heth won’t have to do anything special to get her team motivated for the game at 7 p.m. Friday at Troy.

"Our girls are ready to go," Heth said, smiling. "We've been beaten by Birmingham a lot in the last four years.”

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