GREENVILLE -- Five goals won a state lacrosse championship Saturday, which may come as a surprise to everyone except the owners of the decisive quintet.

That was St. Andrew's, which understood and gladly accepted the likelihood that goals might be a precious commodity in their bout with St. Mark's.

St. Andrew's 5-3 win in the Delaware High School Boys Lacrosse Tournament title game at A.I. du Pont's Tiger Stadium was the lowest-scoring final in the tourney's 12-year history, easily undercutting three finals that ended 8-4.

In securing its first boys lacrosse state title, St. Andrew's scored just enough and defended plenty, as it had all season. The No. 5-seeded Saints (14-5) finished the season with nine straight wins, and allowed a collective eight goals in the final three rounds of the state tournament.

The most goals they allowed in a game all season was 10.

"With our goalie and our defense, we're comfortable in those low-scoring situations," said St. Andrew's coach Jay Hutchinson, who credited assistant coach Peter Unger for his defensive schemes. "I think the main thing [Saturday] was just making sure they didn't get one of their runs going."

St. Andrew's goalkeeper Dave Page made 23 saves. Long-pole defenders Brice Howard, Edwin Cuervo, Mike Johns and Elijah Weeks thwarted many St. Mark's opportunities before they got to Page.

"They weren't letting them do too much," Page said.

"Elijah Weeks played the game of his life. It seemed like every time he went on a guy, the ball would be on the ground within five seconds. That made it so hard for them to get started."

Benjamin Smith scored first to give St. Andrew's a first-period edge, but Kenny Finnegan's first of two goals tied it 84 seconds later. Smith's second-quarter goal, a rebound after another shot glanced off goalkeeper Justin Scheinholtz's stick, made it 2-1.

Goals by Neil Gordon and Griff Stabler in the third period gave the Saints a 4-1 cushion. When Gordon scored again with 7:25 remaining, St. Andrew's hopes looked promising.

Down 5-1, St. Mark's (15-5) tried to rally on goals by Finnegan with 7:06 left and Derek Sherman with 5:09 to play, but it was not to be.

St. Andrew's had a 23-21 edge in shots. Scheinholtz had 12 saves of his own.

"You give up only five goals, you think you'd be OK," Spartans coach Curt Sawyer said. "It's probably the first game this year we've had this kind of defensive pressure on us."

Reach Kevin Tresolini at 324-2807 or ktresolini@delawareonline.com.

St. Andrew's 5, St. Mark's 3

St. Mark's 1 0 0 2 -- 3

St. Andrew's 1 1 2 1 -- 5

Goals--SM: Finnegan 2, Sherman. StA: Smith 2, Gordon 2, Stabler. Assists--SM: Park, Mangat. StA: Devlin 2, Hawkins. Shots--StM 21, StA 23. Saves--StM (Scheinholtz 12), StA (Page 13).