Aldie, VA (May 24, 2023) - The previous meeting between the Lightridge Lightning and the Tuscarora Huskies was a tightly played, low-scoring game. Lightridge won that one, which meant they would host the semifinal rematch, if it came to that.
It did come to that, and on a spectacular late May evening they met with a spot in the regional tournament championship at stake. The Huskies have been there before, but achieving such lofty goals would be a first for Lightridge's young program.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
For the first few minutes, the teams settled into their well-established offensive patterns. But with an excited home crowd behind them, the Lightning, well, "bolted" out for the rest of the first half. With supreme confidence and ultimate precision, Lightridge soared to a 9-0 lead before Ashley Ure scored for Tuscarora in the final minute of the period.
Avery Speier led the Lightning onslaught with three goals, Morgan Holinchek and Reese Van Horn had two each, and Sophie Samson and Keira Kavulic contributed one goal apiece. It was a balanced, team-based approach, and that's what made the Lightning so hard to defend. The Huskies couldn't focus on one or two players since every Bolt was contributing. Leading 9-1 at halftime, could the Bolts sustain this intensity or would Tuscarora find a way to get back in the game?
And, yes, the Huskies did establish some momentum after the break. They were better at the face-off, better in possession, better on defense, and stronger in attack. With Ure, Maddie Ross, and McKenna Fox all scoring in the opening ten minutes of the second half, the Huskies seemed on the verge of something special.
But perhaps it was just a momentary Lightning let up. After a quick timeout, the Bolts poured it on for the remainder of the game, scoring five straight times to earn a decisive, convincing victory, a trip to the Region championship, and a ticket to the state touranment.
Final Score: Lightridge 15 - Tuscarora 4
