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The Crusaders (4-6) showed their mettle in rallying from a 6-2 halftime deficit, but Williams hung on for the 9-7 victory. Pat Doliber and Eamon Barrett notched hat tricks to pace Fenwick's offense while Craig Forrest made 18 saves in net.

The winter sports season for the River Rival Region is now officially over.

Yesterday afternoon, inside a bustling TD Banknorth Garden, the season's best team, the Pentucket Sachems, lost a hard-fought contest against perhaps the best girls basketball team in the state, Archbishop Williams, 59-53.

For the second year in a row, Pentucket's season came to an end at the TD Banknorth Garden last evening in the Division 3 state semifinal.

Both years, Archbishop Williams, the Division 3 South champion, ousted the Sachems. Last night's 59-53 loss brings Pentucket's record to 0-2 at the Garden over the last two seasons. In all other arenas, the Sachems are 44-3.

Jill Dean stopped three shots to earn her second straight shutout for the Crusaders (12-3, 9-1 CCL). Danielle Dinuccio and Melissa Garabedian had the goals, while Erin O'Leary assisted on both.

Bishop Fenwick beat rival Archbishop Williams 1-0 on Elly O'Leary's first-half strike. Jill Bean was hardly tested in goal as the Crusaders defense only allowed two shots on goal.