NATICK — Whenever the Walpole’s girls lacrosse team has needed a player to step up this season, someone has answered the bell.

Monday, it was junior Sophia Fruci, who paced her team offensively with a game-high five goals and a pair of assists, while senior captain and UMass (Amherst) commit Caitlyn Naughton (five goals, two assists) matched her effort as second-ranked Walpole rolled to the Div. 2 girls lacrosse finals with a convincing 20-8 victory over No. 6 East Longmeadow.

“It’s definitely the best game we’ve played all year long,” said Walpole coach Mike Tosone. “In terms of playing intelligent lacrosse. We’ve played a lot of games where we were intelligent, but this was the best combination (with scoring).”

This is the first trip to a state championship for Walpole since 2018. The Timberwolves were also propelled by sophomore Ava MacLean, who recorded four goals.

The opening quarter turned out to be a war, with both schools exchanging tallies. Fruci got Walpole (22-3) started with the game’s opening goal 1:46 into play, only to witness East Longmeadow (18-4) knot the score at 1-all less than two minutes later.

After Kennady Marino cut it to a 3-2 contest for East Longmeadow off a free position shot with 4:05 to play in the first, however, the Timberwolves then rattled off seven unanswered goals. Fruci completed the hat trick with 5:58 left in the first half, before MacLean closed the second quarter with a pair of goals herself to provide Walpole an 8-2 lead headed into the break.

The trend carried on into the third quarter, as junior Jenna Wong found twine before Naughton sniped her second as the Timberwolves made it a 10-2 affair. While East Longmeadow would fight back in the frame behind a pair of goals from senior captain Megan Morneau, the deficit proved too steep. Fruci closed the third with two more goals to make it 16-7, and her team coasted to the finish from there.

Wong added a hat trick for Walpole, while Mckenna Witwer finished with two goals for East Longmeadow.

The Timberwolves will now clash with top-seeded Notre Dame Academy (Hingham), the reigning champion and a school in the midst of a dynastic run.

A tall task, but Fruci and her teammates remain confident.

“We played them once, and it was a close game,” said Fruci. “They are a very good team, but I think we have a chance, and can beat them.”