When Western Albemarle’s girls lacrosse team fell in the Region 3C final it meant they faced a nominally tougher task, hitting the road to battle Salem.
The Warriors were clearly up for challenge.
Western beat Salem 10-7, building a 7-1 lead in the first half to take control of the Class 3 quarterfinals and holding on in the second half even as the Spartans surged. Western will now host Hidden Valley at 8 p.m. in the state semifinals on Tuesday.
Keeper Kathryn Thomas backed an incredible defensive effort with nine saves on the night as the Western defense held a Salem team that was previously unbeaten and averaged nearly 16 goals per game on the year.
Mattie Shearer helped assure that win with seven draw controls on the night, a big chunk of the 12 draws the Warriors snagged. Shearer also chipped in a pair of goals.
Sophomore Libby Carbo continued her emergence this season as a major threat and creator with four goals and three assists. Carbo was particularly critical to keep Salem at arm’s length with her last two goals coming in the second half.
Erica Repich needed just two shots to score two goals in the first five minutes of the contest, helping stake the Warriors to a strong early advantage. Repich also snagged three draws. Freshman Sophie Lanahan dished out two assists while classmate Mallory Green had a goal and an assist while Anna Kreienbaum had a goal and two draw controls.
