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Lola Mulitalo's overtime goal lifted the Rockbridge County High School girls lacrosse team to a 13-12 victory over Powhatan in a thrilling Class 4 state quarterfinal matchup in Lexington on Friday evening.
Mulitalo, who had tied the game at 12-12 with just 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, scored on a free-position shot with 2:32 left in the second half of overtime as the Wildcats (16-1) rallied past the Indians (14-3).
RC, the Region 4D champion, will play host to Region 4A winners Hanover in the semifinal round of the Class 4 tournament next week. This will mark the Wildcats' fourth consecutive appearance in the state semifinals.
Mulitalo finished with five goals and one assist, scoring four of those goals across the fourth period and overtime as RC battled back to tie things up in the waning moments of regulation. The 'Cats' only lead of the night came on her OT winner.
Erica Krauss posted seven goals for Powhatan, which fell to RC in the state quarterfinals for the third consecutive season. But Krauss, who also tallied four draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers, left the game with an apparent leg injury with 1:40 to go in regulation.
The game was level at 11-11 at that point. The play that led to Krauss' exit resulted in an 8-meter chance, which Grace Hayden converted to put the Indians ahead 12-11 with 1:36 on the clock.
RC won the ensuing draw, but Powhatan goalie Mackenzie Halfon denied a chance for Anna Nye with just under a minute remaining. The Indians cleared the ball, only to see Wildcat defender Nadia Gaydos produce a massive caused turnover with 24 seconds to play. RC rushed the ball up the field, and Nala Shearer fed Mulitalo for the equalizer with 11 seconds left.
The Wildcats had fought back from multiple deficits throughout the game. Powhatan jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, with Krauss sinking the Indians' first four goals and Caroline Camp adding a free-position tally with 4:25 remaining in the first quarter.
Nye scored from a Mulitalo assist with 2:04 to play in the period to make it 5-2, and Mulitalo and Shearer both tallied player-up goals in the opening minute of the second stanza to bring RC to within 5-4. Camp notched another 8-meter score with 9:41 to play, but a marker from Libba Erskine and another Wildcat player-up goal -- this time from Halina Homiak -- knotted things up at 6-6 with 1:21 remaining in the second period.
The Indians answered through Chloe Holt's shorthanded goal with only 3.2 seconds to play, taking a 7-6 advantage into the break.
Ruby Goodhart evened the score from a Nye draw control and assist just 10 seconds into the third quarter. But back-to-back markers from Krauss later in the period restored Powhatan's lead to 9-7, and the Indians took a 10-8 edge into the last 12 minutes.
Mulitalo, who was named player of the year in Region 4D earlier in the week, came to life in the final frame, scoring three of her goals in the period. After the sophomore pulled the Wildcats to within 10-9 with 11:01 to play, Maddie Dahl tied things up at 10-10 at the 9:09 mark.
Krauss' free-position goal with 5:35 to go gave the Indians an 11-10 lead. Mulitalo again pulled the Wildcats even with 3:34 remaining, setting up the frenetic finish.
Goodhart totaled three goals for RC, while Nye tallied one goal, three assists and nine draw controls. Shearer posted one goal and two assists, Homiak finished with one goal and one helper, and Dahl and Erskine forced two turnovers apiece.
Camp bagged a hat trick for Powhatan, while Emma Terry chipped in two assists. Halfon recorded seven saves, and Holt added three draw controls.
The date and time for the Wildcats' Class 4 semifinal meeting against Hanover will be announced later.
