A near undefeated campaign ended with a program-best 21-1 single-season record, 20 straight victories and district, region and state championships for the Yorktown Patriots in girls high-school lacrosse this spring.
The team capped the spring run by routing the Robinson Rams, 22-10, the afternoon of June 8 at Deep Run High near Richmond in the title match of the Virginia High School League's Class 6 state tournament.
The win avenged an early-season 8-7 loss to Robinson, when Yorktown was missing some top players for that match.
"To win district, region and state championships in the same season is unheard of," Yorktown coach Jenny Keimig told her team after the title match.
The state title is Yorktown's second, the first coming in 2022, also with a 3-0 record in the competition like this spring. The Patriots did not make the state tourney last season.
The Patriots eventually dominated in this season's state final, as they did in so many of their matches this season. They fell behind, 1-0, responded by winning multiple draw controls to build a 4-1 lead, then answered again after Robinson cut the lead to 6-5 by scoring four straight goals.
Yorktown led 10-6 at halftime and 16-8 after three quarters.
Helene Lydon scored four goals and had two assists and three ground balls for Yorktown. Elizabeth LaPierre scored four goals with an assist; Olivia Stafford had three goals, two assists and intercepted two passes; Corinne Rigoli had three goals and one assist; and Mila Perez, Lila Almy and Mairin Almy (one assist) each had two goals. Netting one goal each were Lilah Dally and Mia DeFalco, who also intercepted a pass.
Riley Demory and Kelly Brown also had interceptions, with Victoria Carcillo making saves in goal.
Lydon, Stafford and Rigili each won multiple draw controls.
"We knew we had the chance to make this a fun season for sure," Stafford said.
The 22 goals matched Yorktown's most in a single game this season, when the Patriots also scored as many in their season-opener, so bookend 22-goal matches for the team. The 22 total also tied the most scored by any team in a Class 6 state-tourney championship match.
Yorktown was 3-0 in this season’s state tourney, holding on to nip visiting Woodson, 10-9, in the first round, then routing host Battlefield, 14-2, in the semifinals.
Overall in the playoffs, Yorktown had an 8-0 record this spring, scoring 20 or more goals in three of those victories.
Against Woodson in the first-round state match, Yorktown fell behind early, 2-1, rallied to build a 9-4 halftime lead, then was outscored 5-1 in the second half. A defensive stop about 10 yards in front of Yorktown’s goal in the game’s final two seconds iced the close victory.
Stafford scored what became the winning goal, with 7:18 to play in the contest, giving the Patriots a 10-8 lead. She scored three goals and had an assist. LaPierre had two goals and an assist, Lydon had a goal and one assist and Mairin Almy, Rigoli, Olivia Bergeson and Lila Almy scored a goal each.
Against Battlefield in the semis, Yorktown led 4-1 after one quarter, 8-2 at halftime, then 11-2 after three. Battlefield (16-6) did not score in the second half, as its 11-match winning streak was snapped.
On defense for Yorktown, starting goalie Carcillo and Brown combined for the win.
The Patriots controlled the match and possession of the ball by winning 82 percent of the draw controls.
Stafford scored four goals and caused five turnovers. Lydon and Rigoli scored three goals each, Lila Almy had two and Mairin Almy and Burgeson (one assist) one each. Perez had two assists and LaPierre one. LaPierre, Demory and Emme Yoder each caused two turnovers.
NOTES: The state-tournament appearance was Yorktown’s third, all under head coach Jenny Keimig. The first was in 2019 when the Patriots lost in the semifinals to Madison, then in 2022 when Yorktown won the championship with a 3-0 record . . . Yorktown has now won six straight state-tournament matches . . . Overall, Yorktown lacrosse teams have won three state championships, with the boys winning one.
