ASHBURN, Va. — In the first few minutes of Saturday's Class 5 girls' lacrosse state championship, Independence High School scored the first two goals of the game. Douglas Freeman, seeking its third straight title, didn't flinch.
"We prepared for absolutely every dimension of a game," head coach Christina D'Angelo said. "The weather, obstacles, reffing, we try to prepare for all of it."
It took the Mavericks just a few minutes to not only tie the game but move ahead for good, on their way to a 16-10 win and their third straight state championship.
Seniors Grace Moore and Bridget Wilson led the way with six goals apiece.
Molly Bannister, Ella Post, and Ella Davis also tallied for Freeman, combined with stellar goaltending from Zara Issak to turn back every threat the Tigers made on their lead.
"It was tough at the beginning, but we just had to pull it together," Wilson said. "It was our (seniors) last game, so we wanted to play for each other."
Wilson, the defending state player of the year in Class 5, was again in the middle of most of the day's action.
In addition to her six goals, she had multiple assists and was knocked around and down by the Tigers, each time rising again to lead her team.
"Bridget is a physical player, and she's held to a high standard when she (commits) a foul," D'Angelo explained. "When she gets fouled, she's so tough she plays through it. She doesn't go down easy, and that's part of why she doesn't get as many fouls."
"I don't think about the 'getting hit' part," Wilson said. "If someone gets hit, we help each other up and we want to keep going. We all want to be on the field. No one wants to come out."
But the seniors will come out, after winning three titles in a row. Context is difficult in the moment, but joy is not."
It's just kind of surreal right now," Wilson said. "I think it sunk in when the buzzer ran out. Walking off with Grace and Ella was tough, but we were happy."
"Everything they (seniors) have done for the program and the legacy they're leaving, it's so incredible," D'Angelo added. "I just feel a sense of pride."
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