Avery Lutrzykowski of St. Dom’s shoots over Lewiston goalkeeper Cecelia Racine for a second-half goal in Auburn on Monday, May 13. Sun Journal photo by Daryn Slover

Avery Lutrzykowski was a dominant offensive force for the St. Dom’s girls lacrosse team in 2019.

In the Class C state championship game, she forced her will on Lake Region, scoring eight of the Saints’ 11 goals as St. Dom’s defeated the Lakers 11-8 to capture the school’s first girls lacrosse state championship.

The game was a microcosm of Lutrzykowski’s season, in which she racked up 48 goals and 34 assists.

Twenty-three of her 48 goals came in the postseason.

“This season went really well. We did have a couple of ups and downs, and weeks where we had a lot of games,” Lutrzykowski said. “We had to push through that, and (by the) playoffs we were ready to go. I think the state game was a perfect way to end it, of course, and I am glad I got to do it with such an amazing team.”

St. Dom’s coach Leslie Klenk said it wasn’t just the championship game performance that defined Lutrzykowski’s season.

“She had an overall good regular season, but in the playoffs she really lifted her game exponentially and filled in some gaps for us that we needed to fill in order to be successful,” Klenk said. “Even though she had a really great season overall, it was her performance in the playoffs that really helped us exponentially.”

Lutrzykowski said that she worked on getting better in the free position area this season, specifically cutting through the free position area and shooting quicker.

It became a strength of her game.

“We worked as a team on our dodging and driving, which she’s always been good at, and some other (players) picked up on that as well,” Klenk said. “But the extra work on those drives really helped her to get better at it and use them more often.

“We work on our stick skills every single day, and her … ability to use both of her hands really increased this year. I think that made her a better player.”

Lutrzykowski and her teammates used the loss to the Lakers in the 2018 state championship game as motivation heading into this season.

“I think honestly it started last year when we lost it,” Lutrzykowski said. “From that day, I and the other seniors knew we could get back to states and we could win it this year. That loss was always in the back of our minds throughout the entire season this year.”

With three-time All-Region Player of the Year Caroline Gastonguay graduating, Lutrzykowski took on a different role this season.

“This year it was more Mia(-Angelina Leslie) and I distributing from the back and behind,” Lutzykowski said. “Mia did a really good job back there.”

Lutzykowski spent most of the season at the attack position, but also played at midfield, where she played in previous seasons. Klenk said that when she put Lutzykowski at midfield it really helped with the team’s defense because the speed Lutzykowski possesses.

Lutrzykowski didn’t try to replace the production of Gastonguay, who scored more than 200 goals in her high school career. Lutrzykowski said that instead the entire team stepped up and filled Gastonguay’s shoes.

Lutrzykowski, a two-time Sun Journal All-Region Girls Hockey Player of the Year, is attending the University of New England next year and is planning to study nursing and play on the hockey team.