RC Survives PH, 11-8

RC Survives PH, 11-8 Wildcats Enter Regionals On 10-Game Winning Streak

The Rockbridge County High School girls lacrosse team chalked up two more victories in the final week of the regular season, holding off Patrick Henry at home and routing Jefferson Forest on the road.

The Wildcats entered this week’s Region 4D tournament with a 10game winning streak and an 11-2 overall record. RC was slated to play host to E.C. Glass in the regional semifinals on Tuesday evening, with the championship game set for Friday.

Last Monday, the Wildcats eked out an 11-8 victory against the Patriots (9-4), marking the closest call during their two-month unbeaten run.

Anna Nye tallied four goals, three assists, 12 draw controls and five caused turnovers to lead the way for RC. Lola Mulitalo added four goals and one assist for the ’Cats, while Ruby Goodhart scored twice and Emma Johnson notched two assists.

Ruby Kahoun paced PH with four goals. Addison Gibson had two goals and two assists for the Patriots, while Kensington Davis made nine saves in goal and Ainsley Gibson posted four caused turnovers.

RC head coach Susan Nye thought her team struggled to match the speed and pace of play from prac- page A9 tice sessions against a PH team that seemed ready for the challenge of taking on the defending Class 4 state runnersup.

“When we have a test like this, it helps us to learn that we have to play faster,” coach Nye said. “The speed of the game – we have to replicate those drills that we’re doing for speed in practice, and make them real.”

Kahoun got the Patriots on the board first, scoring from a Claire McCahill assist at the 5:58 mark of the first quarter. But PH’s lead didn’t last long, as Nye recorded three straight markers to close out the period and put her team in front 3-1.

While the Wildcats would never surrender their advantage, they were also unable to shake the Patriots. After Mulitalo scored to make it 6-2 midway through the second frame, back-to-back goals from McCahill and Kahoun sliced the margin to 6-4; Josie Caldwell’s marker with 12 seconds left would send the ’Cats into halftime up 7-4.

Kahoun’s free-position goal with 10:25 to play in the third period pulled PH to within 7-5. Neither team would find the back of the net again until Addison Gibson scored for the Patriots with 1:05 remaining in the period. Mulitalo’s 8-meter goal with 21 seconds left in the quarter broke RC’s offensive drought and made it an 8-6 game.

Nye and Mulitalo scored early in the fourth period to widen the gap to 10-6, and the Wildcats fended off PH down the stretch.

Coach Nye is hoping that her team uses the narrow escape as motivation to refocus, especially now that the postseason is getting underway. RC is seeking its fifth consecutive trip to the Class 4 state tournament this spring.

“Our challenge is finding the little successes – finding the positive in every player, and really exploiting that,” coach Nye said. “This player just did this really well, so let’s encourage her; let’s keep going.

“Also, if you make a mistake, you’ve got to let it go,” Nye added. “You can’t dwell on it. You’ve got to be bigger and faster and stronger the next time.”

RC 17, JF 1

RC clinched the regular-season regional title with a 17-1 rout of Jefferson Forest on the road last Wednesday.

Mulitalo and Emma McKnight scored four goals apiece as the Wildcats cruised past the Cavaliers (5-8). Nye had two assists, 11 draw controls, six ground balls and three caused turnovers, surpassing 100 takeaways for her career.

Johnson and Mulitalo each chipped in two assists for RC. Nadia Gaydos scooped up five ground balls, while Braelyn Polly posted four caused turnovers and Goodhart had three takeaways.

For results from the regional tournament and updated schedule information, please visit www.thenews-gazette.com.