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PROVIDENCE – The first title was a proof of concept.
What happened Sunday shows the Westerly girls lacrosse program is growing beyond its years.
The town has always had the athletes to succeed in girls lacrosse, but infrastructure at the youth level has turned those players into lacrosse stars. Westerly saw it pay off in 2024 with a Division III title, moved up and made the D-II final. On Sunday, June 7, the Bulldogs made a return trip to Brown University and meant business, closing the first quarter on four-goal run before putting things away in the second quarter in an 20-9 win over Cumberland, earning the program’s first Division II title.
"It feels so great and we just kept preparing for it the past weeks and we knew our team was going to come together if it was a challenge or not,” said Westerly’s Ella Seltzer, who scored six goals. “We were just ready to play.”
“This means the world,” Westerly senior Casey Macera said. “We’ve been here for three years now so the team kind of knows what we’re doing, but being the last game is kind of surreal for me but I’m also excited for the next chapter.While the record books show the success started when the senior class were freshmen back in 2023, the truth is it started before they even stepped in the halls at Westerly High School.
The community youth program blossomed and built a feeder system. Previously the Bulldogs were athletes playing lacrosse; now they had a roster built of lacrosse-playing athletes.
Westerly’s 2023 season was terrific for a youth roster, going 10-3 before falling in the semifinals. They went undefeated the following spring, winning the D-III title and the move to D-II didn’t faze them. Losing is never part of the plan, but the loss to Lincoln School only helped lead to what happened this season.
“Throughout the years we’ve just stepped up our game. Coach Dave [Amato] is a phenomenal coach and comes every day with something new at practice,” Macera said. “Having a motivated coach as well as a team is just the perfect equation.”
Westerly knew what to expect from Cumberland. The Clippers have one of the state’s best players in Lucy Biggs and some fearless freshmen who are stars in the making. The Bulldogs plan of attack was not letting Cumberland’s offense work.
The Clippers led 3-2 after a Biggs goal with 5:42 left in the first quarter, but Westerly took over from there. Macera tied the score with 3:42 left and Phoebe Brennan sandwiched a Macy Antoch goal to make it 6-3 heading to the second.
Lacrosse can be a game of momentum and the Bulldogs didn’t let it go. Brennan continued to torch Cumberland, Seltzer couldn’t be stopped and Westerly ran off the first four goals of the quarter and never let go of control the rest of the way.
“The draws were really important,” Seltzer said. “Macy [Antoch], Phoebe [Brennan] and Gianna [Falcone] do a really good job together and they work really hard to get the ball. Without them, we wouldn’t get the ball on offense.”
Sunday was Cumberland’s first championship appearance since winning the 2012 D-II title. The Clippers had quite a talent in Biggs and with a young roster, a strong feeder program and a terrific coach in Avery Yang, will continue to grow.
It was good season for Cumberland, even if it didn’t come with the perfect ending.
“We hadn’t been here since 2012, so it’s super exciting being here with this group,” said Biggs, who will play at Bryant next spring. “Every year I’ve been here we’ve gone a little bit further, so it’s good to finish here.
“… They cashed in on every opportunity and we had to do the same but we weren’t, I feel, super great. But I feel that they’ll be super good next year.”
Perfect was the word for Westerly. They didn’t lose a single game this season, challenged themselves with a schedule and prepped for Sunday’s final with a scrimmage against East Greenwich, the runner-up in Division I.
The sport is growing. The talent is there and the coaching is too. After two titles what comes next will be interesting to see, but Westerly is certainly ready for whatever that challenge is.
“We’re excited to find out what will keep happening,” Seltzer said. “We know girls will keep playing and it’ll be good because the team is such a good group of girls.”
“It’s really important to keep the program going and have them come up,” said Macera, a senior, about Seltzer and the talented freshman class. “I feel really confident leaving them with the team.
“The other day we scheduled [East Greenwich in a scrimmage], a D-I team and we actually ended up beating them, so I really have high hopes for this team and one day maybe being D-I.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Score from the 2026 RIIL Division II Girls Lacrosse Championship game
Continue reading...
What happened Sunday shows the Westerly girls lacrosse program is growing beyond its years.
The town has always had the athletes to succeed in girls lacrosse, but infrastructure at the youth level has turned those players into lacrosse stars. Westerly saw it pay off in 2024 with a Division III title, moved up and made the D-II final. On Sunday, June 7, the Bulldogs made a return trip to Brown University and meant business, closing the first quarter on four-goal run before putting things away in the second quarter in an 20-9 win over Cumberland, earning the program’s first Division II title.
"It feels so great and we just kept preparing for it the past weeks and we knew our team was going to come together if it was a challenge or not,” said Westerly’s Ella Seltzer, who scored six goals. “We were just ready to play.”
“This means the world,” Westerly senior Casey Macera said. “We’ve been here for three years now so the team kind of knows what we’re doing, but being the last game is kind of surreal for me but I’m also excited for the next chapter.While the record books show the success started when the senior class were freshmen back in 2023, the truth is it started before they even stepped in the halls at Westerly High School.
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The community youth program blossomed and built a feeder system. Previously the Bulldogs were athletes playing lacrosse; now they had a roster built of lacrosse-playing athletes.
Westerly’s 2023 season was terrific for a youth roster, going 10-3 before falling in the semifinals. They went undefeated the following spring, winning the D-III title and the move to D-II didn’t faze them. Losing is never part of the plan, but the loss to Lincoln School only helped lead to what happened this season.
“Throughout the years we’ve just stepped up our game. Coach Dave [Amato] is a phenomenal coach and comes every day with something new at practice,” Macera said. “Having a motivated coach as well as a team is just the perfect equation.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Westerly knew what to expect from Cumberland. The Clippers have one of the state’s best players in Lucy Biggs and some fearless freshmen who are stars in the making. The Bulldogs plan of attack was not letting Cumberland’s offense work.
The Clippers led 3-2 after a Biggs goal with 5:42 left in the first quarter, but Westerly took over from there. Macera tied the score with 3:42 left and Phoebe Brennan sandwiched a Macy Antoch goal to make it 6-3 heading to the second.
Lacrosse can be a game of momentum and the Bulldogs didn’t let it go. Brennan continued to torch Cumberland, Seltzer couldn’t be stopped and Westerly ran off the first four goals of the quarter and never let go of control the rest of the way.
“The draws were really important,” Seltzer said. “Macy [Antoch], Phoebe [Brennan] and Gianna [Falcone] do a really good job together and they work really hard to get the ball. Without them, we wouldn’t get the ball on offense.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Sunday was Cumberland’s first championship appearance since winning the 2012 D-II title. The Clippers had quite a talent in Biggs and with a young roster, a strong feeder program and a terrific coach in Avery Yang, will continue to grow.
It was good season for Cumberland, even if it didn’t come with the perfect ending.
“We hadn’t been here since 2012, so it’s super exciting being here with this group,” said Biggs, who will play at Bryant next spring. “Every year I’ve been here we’ve gone a little bit further, so it’s good to finish here.
“… They cashed in on every opportunity and we had to do the same but we weren’t, I feel, super great. But I feel that they’ll be super good next year.”
Perfect was the word for Westerly. They didn’t lose a single game this season, challenged themselves with a schedule and prepped for Sunday’s final with a scrimmage against East Greenwich, the runner-up in Division I.
The sport is growing. The talent is there and the coaching is too. After two titles what comes next will be interesting to see, but Westerly is certainly ready for whatever that challenge is.
“We’re excited to find out what will keep happening,” Seltzer said. “We know girls will keep playing and it’ll be good because the team is such a good group of girls.”
“It’s really important to keep the program going and have them come up,” said Macera, a senior, about Seltzer and the talented freshman class. “I feel really confident leaving them with the team.
“The other day we scheduled [East Greenwich in a scrimmage], a D-I team and we actually ended up beating them, so I really have high hopes for this team and one day maybe being D-I.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Score from the 2026 RIIL Division II Girls Lacrosse Championship game
Continue reading...
