June 12, 2024
• Weekday wins in the State Semis setup two Rockets teams to play in title games.
Two different Needham teams will be playing in MIAA Division 1 State Championship games over the next few days. One team is looking to win its fourth straight state title, while another is hoping to stop another school from winning four in a row.
On Tuesday night, the Needham Boys Lacrosse team, ranked #7 in the bracket, outlasted a tough challenge from #3 Acton-Boxborough, never leading by more than a goal. But that was enough, as the Rockets pulled off the win 9-8 at Burlington High School to advance to the state final.
Sean Reilly scored four goals, including the go ahead goal with just over three minutes to go that ultimately was the game winning goal. Reis Conway was the only other Rocket with multiple goals, with two.
Needham, who also upset #2 Lincoln-Sudbury in the quarterfinals, will now face the challenge of #1 St. John’s Prep in the championship game on Friday night at 6pm, back in Burlington. The Eagles, winners of three straight state titles, earned their way to the final by beating conference rival BC High in the first game in Burlington Tuesday night, 6-4.
Meanwhile, #1 Boys Volleyball swept #4 Milford in three straight sets on Monday night, 25-14, 25-16, 25-14 at Newton South. That sets up a rematch of the 2023 state final between Needham and Bay State Conference rival #2 Newton North Thursday night at 7:30pm from Worcester State.
In order for the Rockets to complete their quest for a fourth straight title, though, they’ll have to beat a Tiger team that has not just beat Needham this year, but twice. Newton North is the only team this year to beat the Rockets and they punched their ticket with a won over another Bay State Conference rival, #3 Natick, also on Monday.
The Needham Channel will be recording broadcasts from both finals, with Boys Volleyball to debut Saturday night, June 15th and Boys Lacrosse on Monday night, June 17th.
To check out the game winning goal by Reilly, as well as the finish of the game, check out this post via our TNC Instagram feed below:
For full brackets of each sport, head to the tournament section of the MIAA website: https://miaa.net/tournament-central/ To keep updated on the Rockets playoff journey, check out our X page: @tnc_sportsView this post on Instagram
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