NORTHFIELD, Vt. — The Hartford High boys lacrosse team came up short in its bid for a third straight VPA Division II championship, falling to Harwood, 7-4, in Saturday’s title game at Norwich University.

The game was a rematch of last year’s championship — won by the Hurricanes — and echoed a close regular-season contest in May that saw the Highlanders eke out a win. This time, Harwood prevailed again in another tightly contested battle.

“They’re well-rounded, and we play very similar styles,” Hartford head coach Grant Whiteway said. “They’re always tight games. They play good team defense, we play good team defense, and we both like to push transition. It’s always tough to be on the other end of those, and it comes down to a few plays. We made a few mistakes down the stretch that kind of came back and bit us.”

Harwood struck early, with junior Milo Lavit scoring just minutes into the game. The Highlanders controlled much of the first quarter, stifling Hartford possessions with strong defense and solid goaltending by senior Evan Andrews.

Lavit scored again midway through the quarter to make it 2-0, and Harwood added a third goal with just over 12 seconds left in the period.

The Highlanders kept up the pressure in the second quarter, extending their lead to 4-0 with another goal past Hartford junior netminder Graham Thompson.

But Hartford’s defense stepped up midway through the period, holding Harwood scoreless for two minutes following a timeout. With just under four minutes left in the half, Whiteway called a timeout of his own after a key defensive stand.

The Hurricanes responded with an offensive burst. Sophomore Owen McMahon scored to get Hartford on the board, and just 33 seconds later, senior Austin St. Peter powered through multiple checks to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Hurricanes trimmed the deficit to one before halftime on a leaping shot by senior Nicholas Daniels.

Hartford controlled possession early in the third quarter but couldn’t capitalize. Midway through the period, Harwood regained momentum following several Hurricane penalties. Still, neither team scored until a Highlanders offside call gave Hartford a man advantage. St. Peter took full advantage, burying a shot past Andrews to tie the game at 4-4.

The rest of the third quarter featured frenetic, back-and-forth action — and that pace carried into the fourth. Both teams battled for every loose ball, searching for an edge.

With nine minutes remaining, Harwood broke the tie — and that goal proved to be the difference. Down 5-4, Hartford had several chances, including a shot that slipped through Andrews’ grasp and nearly rolled into the net. But Harwood iced the game with two more goals, securing the championship.

Even in defeat, Whiteway praised his team’s resilience.

“The kids just fight, man. There’s no give-up. Even when things aren’t going well, they always claw back,” he said.

Looking ahead, Whiteway said he’s optimistic.

“It always stinks when your season ends this way, but I am proud of the group,” he said. “We’ve got a good core coming back.”

Michael Coughlin Jr. can be reached at mcoughlin@vnews.com.