Ireton lax falls to Saints in state title game, 15-4

Team MVP and School's Fr Godley Award winning Maddie Zeigler and 9 seniors played their final lacrosse game for Ireton in Saturday's state championship.

Bishop Ireton’s girls lacrosse team (15-7, 6-2) climbed to the top of the VISAA division I lacrosse mountain Saturday, but couldn’t overcome the nationally 9th-ranked St Stephens/St Agnes Saints who won their 8th consecutive state championship since they began competing in the tournament, 15-4 at Old Dominion University.

Coach Rick Sofield’s squad had topped second seeded Collegiate School a day earlier at ODU, 9-5. The Cardinals trailed 5-3 with 15 minutes remaining, but turned up the pressure and scored the game’s final 6 goals and wore down the Richmond squad to win going away. It was the redbirds’ first win over the Cougars after three close losses in two years, each of the games at Collegiate.

In the title game, the Saints grabbed a 4-1 lead early. Ireton stayed close until the final two minutes of the half, when a 5-2 deficit quickly became an 8-2 halftime bulge. The Cardinals battled for much of the second half, down 10-4 with 15 minutes remaining before the talented Kathy Jenkins’ coached squad delivered the knockout scoring the contest’s final 5 goals.

“We had some good looks at the cage and didn’t take advantage of our limited opportunities,” said Sofield. “We aren’t to their level yet, but we are working to get there.” The Cardinals were the 35th ranked girls team in the US according to USLacrosse, who conducts weekly rankings of more than 2400 high school teams.

The game was the final appearance for 11 seniors, including team MVP and the School’s Fr. George Godley Award winner, Maddie Zeigler and Cardinal Award winner for the squad, Eva Irwin.