Playing at the North Elba Athletic Fields, the SLP girls topped the Canton Golden Bears 5-4 — a team they previously lost to 11-1 on April 16. The Golden Bears also rank second in Section X, with a 9-3 record.

Monday’s victory marked the first time SLP defeated the Golden Bears since its merger in 2019. The last time the Saranac Lake girls lacrosse beat the Bears was on May 5, 2015.

“I think it just goes to prove that we can beat anybody, we’ve just got to play like we did today,” SLP co-head coach Jeff Denkenberger said. “Every single person played up to their potential. I said it at the beginning of the game that everybody has got to click and it happened. We stayed focused, we came out positive and everything about it was awesome.”

SLP jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, and while the Golden Bears did slowly claw their way back, their efforts were cut short by solid play from SLP’s defense and its goalkeeper Samra Cirikovic, who recorded five saves.

SLP’s Samra Cirikovic, right, makes a stick save on Canton’s Olivia Francey during Monday’s game at the North Elba Show Grounds. (Provided photo — Alicia Brandes)

“Sam played awesome,” Denkenberger said. “Like four of her saves were on penalties, where she just stopped it. I don’t think we’ve ever had a goalie like that who is as athletic as her.”

SLP’s Lizzie Harvey and Emma Clark scored two goals each. Tyler Burth added one in the win. Burth and Maya Garrison had one assist each.

Canton had four different goal scorers with Ella Mousaw, Olivia Francey, Sara Aldous and Elena Abplanalp finding the back of the net. The Golden Bears’ Vivian Coburn had one assist.

For SLP, the win improved their overall record to 7-4, which is just two games behind its best record in over a decade, which was set last season at 9-7. The team has five games left in the regular season.

“I think the girls are starting to believe in themselves,” Denkenberger said. “There’s a lot of girls on the team and us (coaches) that feel like everybody comes onto our field and goes ‘Oh we’re going to beat SLP.’ They come in with that attitude sometimes.”

SLP will host Potsdam today at the North Elba Athletic Fields at 6 p.m.