RALEIGH, N.C. — For the fourth time in the last six years, the Massachusetts/Rhode Island region won the top division at the USA Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament. Massachusetts/Rhode Island 1 blanked Washington 17-0 in the championship game of the Red Division at WRAL Soccer Park on Sunday.
Washington, the first team from the Pacific Northwest to reach the championship game in the top flight, went 3-0 on Saturday with wins over Philadelphia 1, Nation United 1, and DC Metro 1.
On Sunday, they ran into a powerhouse Massachusetts/Rhode Island that featured 13 Division I commits on the roster. Abby Beggans and Emma Connerty led the way with four goals each for Massachusetts/Rhode Island. Beggans is a sophomore from Wellesley High School (Mass.) while Connerty is a junior from Notre Dame Academy (Mass.) who is committed to North Carolina.
This year’s tournament, the 91st annual playing of the National Tournament, featured more than 1,000 of the nation’s top girls’ high school lacrosse players. The players came from 27 states, representing regional all-star teams. Champions were crowned in each of the six divisions.
Here are brief recaps of each of the division’s champions:
Orange Division
In the most competitive championship game of the day, DC Metro 2 defeated Massachusetts/Rhode Island 2 on a last-minute goal, 10-9. Annabelle Walsh, a sophomore from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (Md.), scored her sixth goal of the game with 50 seconds remaining to give DC Metro a 9-8 lead. Tess Van Ogtrop (Thayer Academy, Weston, Mass.) seemingly forced overtime on her goal with eight seconds left for Massachusetts/Rhode Island, but Riley Kimmel (St. John’s College High School, D.C.) scored the game winning goal with two seconds remaining. Evie Bernard (Hamilton Wenham Regional High School, Mass.) led Massachusetts/Rhode Island with three goals, all of them in the second half.
Yellow Division
Massachusetts/Rhode Island 3 defeated New Hampshire 1 by 14-8 score in the Yellow Division championship game. Birdie Hawkins, a junior from Brookline High School (Mass.), led the way with four goals all of them coming in the first half as her team jumped out to an 8-4 lead. Hannah Piché, a sophomore from The Rivers School (Mass.), added two goals and three assists.
Green Division
In the Green Division, Nation United 2 bounced back after losing its first game of the tournament to win three straight games, including a 10-9 victory over DC Metro 4 in the championship game. Nation United is a program aimed at providing high-level playing opportunities to encourage minority participation in lacrosse. In the championship game, Graceyn Brown (Glenelg High School, Md.) and Genesis Manzueta (Governor Mifflin High School, Pa.) each scored three goals for Nation United. Reilly Boylan (The Academy of the Holy Cross, Md.) and Anya Everett (Episcopal High School, Va.) each scored three for DC Metro, with Everett’s goal with 1:33 remaining pulling DC Metro to within one goal, but they were unable to get the equalizer.
Blue Division
Morgan Siglin, a junior from Wade Hampton High School (S.C.) committed to Wofford, and Cece Shia (Fort Mill High School, S.C.) each scored three goals to lead South Carolina 1 to a 13-2 victory over Greater Houston in the Blue Division championship. Spencer Schott (Klein High School, Texas) made nine saves for Greater Houston.
Indigo Division
Pittsburgh erupted for six goals in the first quarter and beat Idaho/Montana/Wyoming 9-5 in the Indigo Division championship. Pittsburgh, which lost to South Florida 11-10 in pool play on Saturday, avenged that loss with a 9-8 win over South Florida on Sunday to reach the championship game. In the championship game, Reese Bohinski (South Fayette High School, Pa.), Georgia Vislocky (Penn-Trafford High School, Pa.), and Karlie Johnson (Norwin High School, Pa.) each had two goals.
