‘Cats Clear Semifinal Hurdle

‘Cats Clear Semifinal Hurdle Big Second Half Puts RC Girls In Title Tilt

The Rockbridge County High School girls lacrosse team made its fourth consecutive Class 4 state semifinal appearance count, defeating Hanover 11-7 in Lexington last Tuesday evening.

The Wildcats then fell to Western Albemarle 12-8 in Saturday’s Class 4 state championship game in Charlottesville. (See separate story.)

After three straight losses to that same Western Albemarle team in the semifinal round – including a heartbreaking, last-second defeat at home in 2022 – RC took the next step to qualify for its first state championship game since the Virginia High School League began sponsoring lacrosse in 2006.

Ruby Goodhart scored four goals and Nala Shearer tallied four assists to pace the Region 4D champion Wildcats in last Tuesday’s semifinal victory, the 16th consecutive win for RC. Lola Mulitalo notched two goals and one assist for RC, while Maddie Dahl had two goals and six draw controls, and Libba Erskine recorded four caused turnovers.

A state championship appearance “is what we’ve been talking about for four years,” said Shearer, one of six seniors on the Wildcats’ roster. “It’s always on our board in the locker room. It’s always on our minds. … That’s always our goal, and to finally make it there is a huge accomplishment.”

Kenson Epperly paced the Hawks (14-3) with three goals and one assist, and Izzi Greth tallied three assists for the Region 4A winners.

The ’Cats used big goalscoring runs in the first and fourth quarters to overcome Hanover. After the start time was delayed by just over 30 minutes due to a heavy downpour shortly before the scheduled opening draw, RC dominated the opening frame, getting one goal apiece from Goodhart, Dahl, Josie Caldwell and Mulitalo – as well as assists from four different Wildcats – to assume an early 4-0 lead.

But the Hawks battled back in the second period. Consecutive goals from Epperly – both assisted by Greth – trimmed the RC lead in half, and a free-position marker from Winn Carlton made it 4-3 with 1:02 to play. That score held into the intermission.

Ball control was a key factor in the Hawks’ run. The Wildcats turned the ball over nine times in the first half and managed just three shot attempts in their scoreless second period.

“We’ve never gone a whole quarter without scoring,” RC head coach Susan Nye said. “I think it was our mistakes that gave them opportunities.”

Emily Snellings knotted things up at 4-4 with 5:58 remaining in the third quarter. But the Wildcats won the ensuing draw, and Anna Nye’s unassisted goal with 5:02 to play in the period – the ’Cats’ first offensive production since the 1:49 mark of the opening frame – put them back in front at 5-4.

Greth assisted Epperly’s player-up goal with 1:06 left in the stanza, pulling Hanover even again at 5-5. But the Hawks’ scoring chances were limited overall by six third-quarter turnovers, most of which were directly forced by the Wildcats.

“We played great defense,” Erskine said. “We had tons of knockdowns. Our new zone that we’ve been working with this year has worked out really great for us. We were able to get a bunch of tips and caused turnovers to get the ball back.”

The draw circle also proved key in shifting momentum back to the home side. With Dahl – whom coach Nye said “had the game of her life” – working inside the circle, RC held a 9-3 advantage in draw controls after the break.

“I think we changed our mindset from it’s a 50-50, to I’m 100 percent winning this ball” in the draw circle, Dahl said. “I’m getting this ball, and we’re going to get possession.”

Following Hanover’s fifth goal, Dahl helped the ’Cats do exactly that, and Mulitalo’s goal from a Shearer assist with only 18 seconds to go in the quarter put RC ahead for good at 6-5.

The go-ahead goal also seemed to ignite the Wildcats, who started the fourth period with an offensive blitz. RC posted five more goals in the opening 5:10 of the quarter, including three scores from Goodhart and a marker from Halina Homiak. Dahl’s player-up goal from a Shearer assist made it 11-5 with 6:50 remaining, putting the ’Cats in complete control.

RC seemed to flip a switch on attack in the closing stanza, picking apart the same Hanover defense that had forced the Wildcats into a lengthy scoring drought earlier in the evening. All six of the ’Cats goals during their decisive run were assisted.

“We play the best when we’re balanced and we’re grounded,” Shearer said. “We’ve been working really hard on getting everyone involved and making an offense that no one can guess what’s coming. No one can double-team someone, because then there’s always going to be someone else open.”

Hanover wouldn’t chip into the deficit until the final two minutes of regulation, getting late goals from Molly Quinn and Penny Quinn to provide the final margin.

Caldwell finished with one goal and two assists for RC, while Homiak and Nye each chipped in one goal and one helper. Emily Humphreys played the first half between the pipes and notched four saves, and Alyssa Hunter also made four stops after taking over at halftime.

Having come so close to the state championship game in each of the three previous seasons makes last Tuesday’s semifinal victory that much sweeter for the Wildcats.

“It feels so unreal,” said Erskine, another member of the senior class. “I’m so thankful and blessed to have this team. We’ve been working so hard … and it makes it worth it.”

The Wildcats’ mentor put it rather succinctly. “Our goal all season was to get to the state finals,” Coach Nye said. “We’re there.”