With the state tournament now ahead, the Yorktown Patriots are very much in the running to finish on a high note and repeat as Class 6 girls field-hockey champions.
Like a year ago, Yorktown (15-4) enters the Virginia High School League’s state tournament as the runner-up in the 6D North Region tourney. The host Patriots lost to the defending champion Oakton Cougars, 1-0, in the Nov. 6 region final.
Oakton also nipped Yorktown, 2-1, in the 2023 region final. Yorktown bounced back to finish 3-0 in the state tournament.
“We will keep our heads up heading to states,” Yorktown coach Olivia Shipley said.
Shipley figured the region final would be a low-scoring defensive struggle because of the quality of the teams. Yorktown entered its fourth straight region final having won eight straight matches, including three shutouts in a row and seven in its last eight games. Oakton had won 11 in a row entering the contest.
“We had some [scoring] opportunities but it didn’t work out tonight,” Shipley said.
The only goal came with 4:39 left in the third quarter, when Oakton’s Marisa Rubano scored, unassisted, on a hard backhanded shot to the left of Yorktown goalie Sarah Kinzer. Prior to that goal, Kinzer had made a diving save and a couple of other kick saves.
Yorktown was 2-1 in the region tournament. The Patriots blanked the Madison Warhawks, 2-0, in the semifinals and South Lakes Seahawks, 4-0, in the first round.
Olivia Stafford scored both goals, unassisted, in Yorktown’s semifinal win. Kinzer earned the shutout.
Against South Lakes, Stafford scored two goals and Elena Reiser and Quincy Greene one each. Reiser had two assists and Maddie Nimerala and Anna Menard one each.
Yorktown won state titles in 2021 and 2023 and finished second in 2022. The Patriots won the region in 2021 and 2022.
NOTE: Reiser was chosen as this season’s region Player of the Year. The senior has scored 14 goals, has nine assists and has taken 56 shots. Also making first team all-region with Reiser from Yorktown were Stafford and Quincy Greene. Making second team were Anna Menard and Paige Baskin.
