Spotsylvania, VA (June 10, 2023) - The Atlee Raiders and the Dominion Titans last met in the 2022 Class 4 championship, and it was a rout for the Raiders. That finals win was the eighth in a row for the Raiders, and they continued that streak through this year's regular and post seasons. In other words, Atlee was primed and ready for another finals showdown.
Dominion's excellent season included a romp through Region C, and a few regular season losses to well known lacrosse powers like Yorktown, Riverside, and Robinson. But, in a rare mid-season, out-of-district game, the Titans were on the short end of a close match with E.C. Glass--a team that Atlee thumped in this year's state semifinals just a few days before the championship.
Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.
Unfortunately for Dominion, the E.C. Glass comparison proved to be telling. With brothers Ryan Miller and Kevin Miller leading the way, the Raiders stormed out to a 4-0 lead at the end of the first period. The Atlee attack was precise and patient as they circled the Dominion net looking for opportunities to fire shots past Titan keeper Billy Draper.
At the other end of the field, the Atlee defenders were just as well-organized as their offense, holding normally prolific Dominion attackmen Will Wajsgras and Jack Miller in check. Dominion finally broke through late in the second quarter on a twisting shot from Miller that beat Atlee keeper Eric Allen, but by halftime the Raiders had built up a 7-1 lead.
The Raiders slowed the pace down a bit after halftime, but their intensity never let up and they dominated possession throughout the second half. A big part of that came from superb face off performance from Connor Bade, making it virtually impossible for the Titans to gain any ground. Dominion's Diego Gutierrez found the net late in the 3rd quarter, but by then the margin was an insurmountable nine goals, 11-2. For the second time in two years, Titan head coach Pete Lenotti simply ran out of counterattack answers against a formidable opponent.
Midway through the fourth quarter, with the outcome of the game well in hand, Raiders head coach Fielding Crawford began giving playing chances to more of his bench. And the celebrating Atlee fans erupted in a huge ovation when crowd-favorite Brenton Buchanan scored the final goal for the 2023 Class 4 State Champions.
Final Score: Atlee 14 - Dominion 2
