As a senior at Green Hope, Chrissy Sibley scored a team-high 62 goals and 74 points to lead the Falcons’ girls’ lacrosse team to its first NCHSWLA state championship in 2005.

Sibley is trying to lead Green Hope to the title again this spring, only this time as its coach. She has her team one win away from the championship game. The Falcons beat Charlotte Myers Park 18-12 on Friday to clinch their fifth straight appearance in the state semifinals.

“We played great,” said Sibley, who has balanced the demands of coaching along with her undergraduate studies at N.C. State, where she just finished her junior year. “Scoring 18 is lot of goals for a game, so we were in the zone. We kind of put it together on the attack, which is something we’ve been working on all season. And our defense stepped up.”

Lauren Cosentino scored six goals and had an assist, Brittany Ruppert had five goals and two assists, Rachel Chapla had two goals, Kelly Reiser had two goals and two assists, Deirdre O’Connor scored twice and Logan Kaznowski scored once in Friday’s quarterfinal win.

This year’s crop of seniors were freshmen in 2005, so Sibley is hoping once again to lead them back to the top like she did her senior year as a player.

“I used to play with some of these girls, and now I’m their head coach,” Sibley said. “Four years later, we’re trying to make it happen again. It’s just a special group to work with. I think they’re great girls and they represent the sport well and our school well.”

Green Hope (13-5) will face Apex at Apex in Thursday’s semifinal. The winner will advance to play either East Chapel Hill or Charlotte Catholic in the state championship game on Saturday at Durham County Stadium at 1 p.m.

Green Hope and Apex have won the last three state championships. Green Hope won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, and Apex is the reigning champion. Apex swept the season series this year, earning a 20-3 decision on April 14 and a 17-11 win on April 25.

“I love to play Apex,” Sibley said. “They’re great competition and it forces our team to step up and play their best because Apex will be paying their best. It forces us to overcome an obstacle that is standing between us and our goal.”