Sterling, VA (May 26, 2023) - The Dominion Titans are in top form again. Cruising through the season with an undefeated district and overall record, they have outscored their opponent by more than fourteen points per game on average. Only Class 5 contender Riverside kept the margin under double digits.
But their opponent in this championship game, the Lightridge Lightning, had also earned their spot in the final. Their only district loss came at the hands of the Titans, and their 12-4 overall record was the best in program history. They had definitely proven themselves to be the second best team in the region, and now they had another chance to compete with the best.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
For the first five minutes of the game, Lightridge used their semifinal trouncing of Tuscarora as momentum. After giving up a first minute goal to Dominion's Maura Schroeder, the Bolt defense, and Lightning goalie Lucy Neff, tightened up. When Morgan Holincheck pushed a shot past Titan keeper Caelan Jones, to tie the score at 1-1, Lightridge fans in the visiting stands had reason to believe.
But it was all Dominion, all the time, from there.
Cate Kriesel and Ava Field scored in the 6th minute, sparking a streak of sixteen unanswered goals that continued until there were just ten minutes remaining to play. The methodical Dominion offense was simply too much for the scrappy, but outmanned Lightridge defense.
The Titans' quick, accurate, organized passing led to clinical scoring throughout the game. Eight different girls tallied for the Titans, including three apiece from Field, Kriesel, Brooke Frishman, and Lindsay Fox. But the Bolts' Keira Kavulic creased the net twice in the final minutes to give the Lightning something to build on for the future.
Dominion advances to the Class 4 tournament intent on becoming, amazingly, the state champion for the fourth straight time. Playing at the state level will be a brand new experience for Lightridge, one they earned by being the second best this time around.
Final Score: Dominion 18 - Lightridge 3
