For the fourth time in five years, Bishop Ireton’s girls’ lacrosse team topped local rival St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes 8-7 for the Virginia Independent State Athletic Association championship. For the second straight year, regulation wasn’t enough to decide it.
The Cardinals were in control for the majority of the May 20 championship game at Episcopal High School in Alexandria. But in the final minutes, the Saints scored two goals — including an equalizer with just a second on the clock to force overtime.
After three thrilling overtime periods on a sweltering summer-like day, it was Cardinals’ junior midfielder Briana Lantuh who provided the golden goal to send the Cardinals spilling onto the field to celebrate their second championship of the season after winning the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference crown earlier this month. After the game, coach Rick Sofield told his players that this was the winningest team in school history with just three losses on the year.
