Ball possession and domination at the face-off circle did in the Hand girls' lacrosse team as No. 13 Darien defeated No. 2 Hand 15-5 in the CIAC Class M championship at Bunnell High in Stratford.
Darien freshman Dillon Schoen showcased her speed and quick wrist shots as she had the best game of her early high school career with five goals and three assists.
A four-goal scoring spurt gave Darien a 4-1 lead and the Tigers never recovered.
The big story for the Tigers was goalie Christy Forrest who made 16 saves to keep Hand in the game. At one point, she made three successive saves off a shot and two rebound shots. Marykate McNulty led the Hand offense with two goals. Julia Miller, Hannah Morgan and Cat Chatillon also scored for Hand (19-4), which played in its first state tournament final.