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Northeast Florida high school girls lacrosse: Bartram Trail, Episcopal host regional final

florida times-union
·2 min read
Episcopal attacker Lilly Melograna (28) prepares for a pass against Menendez. The Eagles face St. Augustine for a berth in the FHSAA final four.
Episcopal attacker Lilly Melograna (28) prepares for a pass against Menendez. The Eagles face St. Augustine for a berth in the FHSAA final four.

The Florida High School Athletic Association continues the girls high school lacrosse playoffs on Friday night, with four Jacksonville-area teams in action. These games are the third step on the playoff road to the 2022 FHSAA finals, scheduled for May 5-7 at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Naples. Bartram Trail remains the only Northeast Florida school to win an FHSAA state championship in girls lacrosse, lifting the trophy in the 2016 season.

All games 7 p.m. Friday

REGION 1-2A

Ponte Vedra (15-5) at Bartram Trail (19-3)

A spot in the final four awaits. This game matches two of St. Johns County's most explosive scoring talents, Anna Taraboletti for Ponte Vedra and Ryann Frechette for the Bears, and whichever team can control possession to set up its ace in prime shooting position more consistently likely grabs the upper hand. When the teams met in March, the victor was Bartram Trail, winning 13-8 behind seven goals from Frechette and three from Marina Dean. The winner advances to the state semifinal on May 6 at Paradise Coast Sport Complex in Naples, although the opponent will not be determined until the Florida High School Athletic Association re-seeds the semifinalists based on their rankings.

How they got here: Four area teams move on

Two boys lacrosse squads move on: Second-round recap

REGION 1-1A

St. Augustine (16-4) at Episcopal (18-3)

A historic moment awaits: Neither school has ever qualified for a girls lacrosse final four. The March 29 meeting tipped in favor of Episcopal by a 19-7 count, a big night for Maeve O'Neil; the freshman scored seven goals, supported by five each from Sofia Chepenik and Keeley Cleland as well as five assists from eighth-grader Lilly Melograna. Neely Taylor in defense and Katie Cotter in attack have taken on key roles for the Yellow Jackets. The winner would play in a Class 1A state semifinal on May 6 in Naples; Episcopal would likely receive a No. 3 seed should they advance, while St. Augustine would likely be seeded No. 4.

Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2022 girls lacrosse regional final previews: Bartram Trail, Episcopal