When senior Casey McBride completed her hat trick 39 seconds into the second half on May 27, it seemed the Southern Regional girls lacrosse team was ready to pounce on an unsuspecting Cherokee squad. Within minutes, the Chiefs simply took over the game.

“It really came down to draw possessions and goalie saves,” said head coach Lori Johnson, whose third-seeded Rams watched their season end as second-seeded Cherokee advanced to the NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV final with a 15-5 win.