The Hampton Roads Lacrosse League handed out its yearly awards prior to last week’s championship games, and three local players were recognized with all-conference honors.
The 22 boys players and 24 girls players who received all-conference distinction were nominated from more than 500 individuals and 28 teams — 17 boys and 11 girls — who make up the HRLax high school league.
Upon completing their second season in the varsity boys division, the Williamsburg Royals, made up mostly of players from Jamestown, Lafayette and Warhill, put two players on the all-conference team. Nick Ravida, a senior from Lafayette High, was named second team defense while Chris Lansford, a sophomore at Jamestown, was voted to the second team as a midfielder.
The Royals went 6-2 in their second year in existence this spring and won their opening-round playoff game 13-10 over Menchville before falling to eventual conference champion Grassfield in the quarterfinals.
In the girls division, Warhill sophomore Erin Mullen was voted a second-team attacker for the Williamsburg Lady Warriors.
Mullen, who led the team with 12 assists on the season and was second in overall points per game with a 3.5 average, was the team’s “quarterback” on offense, according to Coach Tinsley Goad. Mullen also finished the season with 23 goals.
Additionally, Lafayette senior Mattie Goad, who will play next year at Mary Washington University, was named the Lady Warriors’ Team MVP while fellow Lafayette senior Lia Poole received the team’s Sportsmanship Award.
After finishing the regular-season with a 5-5 record, the Lady Warriors, who entered the season as the two-time defending conference champs, made an unprecedented playoff run that ended in the conference semifinals.
The Warriors pulled off a come-from-behind 12-10 win in round one over Maury after falling behind 6-0 before suffering a narrow season-ending loss to Tabb in the semifinals.
Tabb, which eventually lost to Cox High (Va. Beach) in the conference final, put two players on the all-conference first team: sophomore Jessie Sawyer (midfield) and senior Kiran Bagalkotkar (attack).
Tabb’s boys also had two players receive first-team honors — senior midfielders Austin Hehir and Ryan Myatt — and four more voted to the all-conference second team: senior Michael McGinley (LSM), senior Mark Youker (defense) and sophomore Matthew Herrmann (goalie).
For a look at the entire all-conference teams, click here.
