Carey, Brent lead Sacred Heart wins

The Sacred Heart and St. Anthony's girls lacrosse teams went out of town and did some non-league giant-slaying last week.

Sacred Heart went 4-0 against Illinois' top teams. On Wednesday, Aileen Carey scored the winner with 1:32 left in double overtime of the Spartans' 19-18 win over Wilmette Loyola Academy, which was ranked 14th in the nation by ESPN Rise. Kristen Brent led them with eight goals in Thursday's 20-12 win over 15th-ranked New Trier. They completed the Midwest sweep with a 16-7 win over Lake Forest Saturday.

"It was pretty awesome," Spartans coach Morgan Molinari said. "We were excited about the trip because we want to play some of the top teams and try to get ourselves on the national map . . . The girls were joking that we're the No. 1 team in Illinois. It was a confidence-builder and I feel it's going to raise our level of play back home."

Down in Maryland, St. Anthony's was facing its own tall orders. The Friars lost, 14-8, to Owings Mills McDonogh, the nation's top-ranked team, Saturday. But Thursday, Kerrin Maurer had five goals and Chrissy Schreiber four goals and two assists as St. Anthony's routed No. 12 Olney Good Counsel, 22-8. The Friars, who started the week ranked No. 5 in the country, have won three straight Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championships.

"It's well known that Long Island is a hotbed for lacrosse and teams from out of state want to see what we're all about," Molinari said. "It's rewarding to go and represent the Island like that."