First Colonial dominates to win first Class 5 Region A Tournament championship in girls lacrosse

VIRGINIA BEACH — The Beach District earned its first girls lacrosse region championship as First Colonial built a nine-goal lead and handily defeated Bayside 15-8 in the Class 5 Region A Tournament final Friday night.

The Patriots’ offense, led by attacker Maggie McConnell, has been a force all season, and McConnell did not disappoint in her most important game of the season. Beach District teams are playing their first postseason as a Virginia High School League-sanctioned varsity sport. Before this season, Beach teams played at the club level.

“I have been playing since I was a sophomore,” said McConnell, a senior and leading scorer for First Colonial.

McConnell scored eight goals and added a pair of assists, mostly in the first half, as the Patriots extended a 5-3 advantage with three straight scores to enter halftime with an 8-3 lead.

“When we play together, we play really well, and today we left it all on the field,” said McConnell, pausing to smack the leg of her teammate, goalie Abigail Cawdery.

Cawdery was exceptional in the net during the second half, stopping several close-range shots. In all, the senior netkeeper knocked back 13 shots, with at least half coming in the first 10 minutes of the second half, as Bayside desperately tried to claw back into the contest.

“I like to think of myself maybe not as the backbone of the team, but definitely an important part every time I am in there,” Cawdery said.

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“She was just awesome today,” McConnell added.

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Cox players hoist their trophy after defeating First Colonial 17-4 in the Class 5 Region A Tournament championship at Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on May 26, 2023. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

The Patriots (11-4) entered the contest averaging just fewer than 15 goals per game, so there was no offensive letup, a point not lost on coach Corie Sullivan.

“We played with a lot of heart today,” Sullivan said. “We played together — that’s our hashtag. We say it after every timeout.”

Kylan Carini tallied four goals and won seven draws, an unusually high number. Addison Kiser added two scores, while Jada Holt also scored.

First Colonial will play the No. 2 seed from the Region B bracket, giving the Patriots an opportunity to face more established programs from Richmond and, with a first-round win, Northern Virginia. But Sullivan is optimistic about her team’s ability.

“We feel great about our chances. We didn’t get to play any teams from around the state during the regular season, but we’re confident.”

As the region runner-up, Bayside (10-4) will also advance to the eight-team Class 5 state bracket and will face the Region B champion in first round next week.