Leesburg, Va. — In their third matchup of the season, the Riverside High School boys lacrosse team completed their sweep of Independence, knocking off the Tigers, 17-11, to claim the VHSL Region 5D title on May 28 in Leesburg.
Riverside started off hot with two goals by senior midfielder Daniel Rice and senior attack Drew Mazzocco to put them up before Independence got on the board with a smooth response from sophomore midfielder Trent Stewart. The rest of the first quarter was full of back and forth while Mazzocco and sophomore midfielder Jacob Stromberg finished with two goals apiece, giving the Rams a 5-4 lead after the first quarter.
Neither team looked sharp in the second quarter as both teams failed to capitalize on open field ground ball opportunities while turning the ball over more times than they’d like. Riverside, however, was able to take additional measures to increase their lead, heading into the half up 8-5.
“Going into the second half with a 3-point lead felt pretty exhilarating,” Rice said. “We knew we had a strong position, but we couldn’t let our guard down.”
As coaches of both teams attempted to rally their players at halftime, the third quarter had more deliberate action. That action—including off-ball movement and backside feeds—allowed Independence to close the gap to 10-9 as the third quarter wound down.
However, a crucial moment happened at the end of the third quarter when Riverside junior defender and CNU commit Keegan Smith stormed down the field with the ball with five seconds left and was able to find the back of the net to cushion the Rams’ lead to 2.
Shortly into the fourth quarter, however, Independence junior defender Lucas Owens found his angle with a nice shot and scored for his only goal of the game, cutting the Riverside lead to 11-10. But more motivated than ever, Riverside gassed back up and went pedal to the metal, scoring 6 unanswered goals in just over 6 minutes to increase their lead to 17-10.
“In the fourth quarter, there was definitely a defining moment when our defense made a crucial stop, which really shifted the momentum in our favor,” Rice said. “From there, it felt like everything just clicked, and we managed to score those 6 unanswered goals. It was more about our team’s effort and determination than Indy slacking off.”
Having secured the region title, Riverside earned a first round bye in the VHSL Class 5 State tournament. By virtue of playing in the region championship game, Independence punched their ticket to the state tournament where they will travel to Region C champion Midlothian on May 31. The Rams will host the winner of that game in a state semifinal on June 4.
“Having a bye and playing the next round at home is a huge advantage. The home crowd’s energy always gives us that extra boost,” Rice said. “We’re not taking anything for granted; we know it’s going to be a tough fight. We’re ready to give it our all, and hopefully come out on top again!”
Katey Jackson photographed Riverside High School’s boys lacrosse game against Independence High School in Leesburg on May 28 and posted this photo gallery with 250+ photos!