San Marcos girls lacrosse started fast and never looked back on their way to a 12-8 win over Downey in the second round of the CIF-SS Div. 3 playoffs on Friday at Warkentin Stadium.
With the win, the Royals will now face the winner of Saturday’s matchup between Murrieta Valley and Martin Luther King on Tuesday at 5 p.m. The location is to be determined.
San Marcos was clicking early, jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the first quarter to set the tone of the game.
That momentum carried into the second quarter, as the Royals held a 10-4 advantage at the halftime break.
“We led 10-4 with a nice mix of possession and finishing,” San Marcos coach Paul Ramsey said. “And taking care of the ball is always in our game plan.”
Downey made a push out of halftime, outscoring the Royals 4-2 in the second half. However, San Marcos buckled down and fought off the comeback effort for the win.
“This team plays hard and they all pull for each other,” Ramsey said of his squad.
Mia Martinez-Tomatis was a monster on the offensive end of the field, leading all scorers with seven goals on the day. Her sixth goal was the 100th of her San Marcos career.
The playoff victory was the first in the San Marcos girls lacrosse program’s history, fresh off their first-ever Channel League title.
“This is a season of firsts for us and we just want to keep it going for as long as we can,” Ramsey said.