UPDATED: Heights Defeats Hudson in Overtime 8-7 to Head to High School Lacrosse Final Four

Thanks to Athletic Director Kristin Hughes for sharing this update about the women's lacrosse team at Heights High. And thank you to John Lentz, who provided a recap of the game below. Congrats to the Lady Tigers!

The Cleveland Heights Lady Tigers lacrosse team defeated Hudson in overtime 8-7 Thursday to win the OSLA Regional Championship and advance to the semifinals of the 2012 Ohio Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association State Tournament. Here's a against Kent Roosevelt that was featured on Kent Patch.

This Division I semifinal game vs. Upper Arlington is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, June 1 at Mason High School, 6100 Mason-Montgomery Road, Mason, Ohio. The winners of the two Division I semifinal games will play at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 2nd at Mason High School.

Heights Defeats Hudson in Overtime 8-7 to Head to High School Lacrosse Final Four

It had been four years since the Heights Tigers girl's lacrosse team had defeated the Hudson Explorers. Most of the games in that time had been decided by 1 or 2 goals. The teams knew each other well.

The District Final, played before a packed house at Denison Field between these two teams, was no exception. Only this time the Tigers defeated the Explorers of Hudson in overtime 8-7. The winning goal was scored by Junior Kelly Dawson.

Heights started the game scoring the first two goals and dominating the possession in the first half.  However, despite the strong start Heights was up only 5-3 at the break.  Tremendous goalie play by Hudson's Casey McHenry kept the Explorers close.

When Meg Lentz scored to make it 6-3 early in the second half it looked like the home team was about to pull away. However, Hudson stormed back to tie at 7 with just over 5 minutes to play. Hudson juniors. Molly Wood and Brynne Drohan scored crucial goals.

Lentz received a yellow card and a two minute penalty at 1:04 left in regulation. Things looked bleak for the Tigers. But junior Isabel Collins, and sophomore Kalah Saunders made sure the game remained deadlocked until the whistle with strong defensive plays.

Dawson scored her go-ahead goal near the end of the first overtime.  With 25 seconds left in the second overtime, Hudson made one last charge to tie the score. But first year defense Sarah Lentz scooped up a loose ball, ran down the field and ran out the clock for the victory.

Hudson finished the year at 8-9 and Heights moves on to the state final four at 11-6-1. The lady Tigers will take on the No. 1 team in the state, Upper Arlington, on Friday, June 1 at Mason High School near Cincinnati at 7:15 p.m. Last year's state champs Medina and Sycamore high schools will play the other half of the playoff bracket.  The state championship game will take place at Mason High on Saturday, June 2 at 4 p.m.

The Heights goals were scored by M. Lentz (4), K. Dawson (2), Sr. Margeaux Apple and Jr. Isabel Collins. The Hudson goals were scored by Fisher (2), Drohan (2), Wood (2), and Haines.

As the players left the field, Hudson senior goalie McHenry, who will play lacrosse for Mount Union University next year, and senior Meg Lentz (Stanford) embraced, thanking each other for four years of competition, wishing each other well for the future. It was perhaps the best moment of all in this thrilling high school lacrosse game.