Led by six goals each from Anna Nye and Lola Mulitalo, the Rockbridge County High School girls lacrosse team won its fifth consecutive Region 4D championship by pulling away to defeat Blacksburg 20-7 in the finals on Monday night in Lexington.
The Wildcats (13-2), earning their 12th win in a row, will play host for a Class 4 state quarterfinal game on Friday night. For the time, opponent and state tournament updates, visit www. t he news- ga z e t t e. com. Blacksburg (14-2) will travel for its quarterfinal game.
When the teams met during the regular season on May 5 in Blacksburg, the Wildcats won 13-7.
Although the Wildcats raced to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter on Monday, the Bruins answered back to keep the first half close, cutting the lead to 6-3 in the second quarter before Josie Caldwell scored from the free position to put RC up 7-3 just before halftime.
Blacksburg trimmed RC’s lead to 8-6 in the third quarter, but the Wildcats used strong passing and great ball movement to score the next 12 goals, with the Bruins scoring the final goal before the game ended.
Nye, a sophomore midfielder, had one of the best games of her career, leading the Wildcats with five assists to tally 11 total points. Mulitalo, a junior attacker, had an assist, while Caldwell scored four goals and had one assist. Emma Johnson chipped in two goals and two assists, Adrianna Grue and Emma McKnight each scored one goal for RC, and Grue had an assist.
Charis Krouscas led Blacksburg with three goals, while Karlyle Gresham scored two goals. Blacksburg goalie Leo McCoy made seven saves.
The full story and photos from the regional championship game, with comments from Mulitalo, Anna Nye and RC head coach Susan Nye, will be in next week’s newspaper.
