'Confident and humble,' Hanover boys and girls prevail in state lacrosse quarterfinals

With 2:20 remaining in Friday’s Class 4 state girls lacrosse quarterfinal, Molly Quinn gripped her stick and set her eyes on returning her Hanover Hawks to the lead, ready for a free position shot.

“We didn’t want this to be our last game. We want to make it further than anyone in Hanover history,” Quinn noted.

The junior did her part, firing what would be the game-winning shot past Meridian goalkeeper Sarah Bockelman for a 7-6 advantage. But it took a titanic defensive effort in the final minutes to seal Hanover’s victory and send the Hawks to a Tuesday state semifinal match at home against Dominion.

The Mustangs won the ensuing draw control, quickly attacking the net. But Hanover (16-2) net minder Cassidy Gustafson stood strong between the pipes, even after her defense committed an unforced turnover to give Meridian possession back with 55 seconds left.

Meridian earned a free position to set up its final charge, as Zoe Gale charged from behind the net, firing a shot that sailed just above the crossbar. A desperation pass into the front of the net area was caromed into a Hanover defender’s stick, and the Hawks had survived.

The final minutes were a microcosm of a game whose margins were razor-thin from the start. Meridian took an early 2-1 advantage into the second period. Junior Izzy Greth, feeling the game develop into one where goals would come at a premium, fired a shot past Bockelman to tie the game at two.

Later, in the second half, after Meridian scored the first two goals after intermission to retake the lead at 4-3, Quinn scored the second of her three goals to square the match again.

The Mustangs took a 5-4 lead to the fourth, as an apparent Hanover goal was nullified due to a crease violation with 9 minutes left. But Meridian turned the ball over, and Greth struck again, sending a one-hopper in the net to tie the game at five.

“It’s knowing that you know you need this for the team,” Greth explained. “I wanted to make sure we were keeping on track, and not fall too behind. The feeling of tying (a game) is really like no other feeling. You know you’re back now.”

Fifty seconds later, Lenea Paradiso got Meridian back in front. The Hawks answered thanks to a great assist by Berkley Wilson, spinning around a defender, then feeding Bella Elliott who tied the match at six apiece, setting up the Quinn and defensive heroics that helped the Hanover girls reach their second Class 4 state semifinal in three seasons.

Quinn and Greth were freshmen when their state journey ended in the semifinals at the hands of Rockbridge. And, leaving the field Friday, they did not know who their next opponent would be, and whether they would host or hit the road. Quinn explained how teams, and players, can handle that.

“Honestly, sports is always a 90% mind game, so, from here on out, we’ll focus on what we can,” Quinn said. “We’re going to play the game the way we know how to play and not worry about the unknowns. We’ll go into the next game confident and humble.”

For a team searching for its first-ever state championship game berth, that combination could be key to success.

Hanover boys sprint to early lead in victory

Next it was the Hanover boys, who took to the home turf to battle perennial Class 4 state participant Western Albemarle. 

The Hawks had practiced all week with a confidence maybe not experienced before in team history after finally getting the “Atlee monkey” off their back, thanks to a thrilling 8-7 overtime victory over the Raiders in the Class 4, Region A title game the previous Friday. It was a measure of revenge for losing in the state semifinal two years ago to their rivals.

With the Raiders behind them, at least for now, the Hawks prepped for the team that sent them home in the 2023 state tourney, the Warriors. 

The first half was dominated by Hanover, which used a 4-0 run early in the first quarter for a 5-1 lead as sophomore Brady Bond had two goals and an assist. In all, five different Hawk players found the back of the net for a 7-2 lead after twelve minutes.

Then senior Braeden Kubala joined the party, firing in two goals in just 33 seconds, upping the lead to 9-2. The Warriors, veterans of the postseason, seemed to be sleepwalking. Western Albemarle was able to get within six by halftime, trailing 10-4.

As soon as third period action began, fans, and the Hawks, discovered quickly that the Warriors were wide awake. They became much, much more physical, completely shut down the Hanover offense, and grinded out four goals over a 16 minute span.

Now 10-8, the Warriors had all the momentum, and Hanover seemed awry. Enter senior attacker Tate Whitaker. He’s not the biggest player on offense, but his speed can be deadly. Combine it with excellent accuracy with the stick, and he was just the elixir the Hawks needed.

Whitaker answered what would be Western Albemarle’s final goal with two of his own, the first unassisted with 5:14 left in the game to give Hanover its first tally since before halftime. 

Then, Whitaker scored with exactly four minutes to play after receiving an assist from the other side of the field from junior Jason Eager that simply had to be seen to be believed.

“It took us a minute to step up and get something going,” Whitaker recalled when asked about the absence of the offensive until the final five-plus minutes. “They were getting too close, and we just needed to finish it out.”

And as for Eager’s contribution, which sailed past several defenders en route to Tate’s netting? Whitaker smiled widely.

“It was an absolutely amazing pass from Jason. I just happened to be in the right spot, and canned it in the top right corner.”

The Warriors self-destructed after that, committing two penalties in the final 2:27 that doomed any hope of a comeback. 

Hanover now prepares for Salem, which eliminated Broad Run 13-5 in another quarterfinal. The boys’ team, too, seeks to earn its first trip to a state championship game.

If they can put together two halves that mirror Friday’s first half, it just might be their destiny.

The Hanover/Dominion girls semifinal begins at 6pm, followed by the Hanover/Salem boys matchup approximately thirty minutes after the girls’ match concludes.