Centreville High Lacrosse Update

The Centreville girls varsity lacrosse team came on strong in their first District competition against Oakton on Friday night, April 13. The intensity never let up as the Lady Wildcats beat first ranked Oakton, 14-13.

Senior midfielder Hayley Anderson pounded home two consecutive shots at the start, fed by freshman attacker Reagan Newell, taking the Cougars by surprise. Anderson led the scoring with seven goals (two draw controls) followed by Junior midfielder, Carly Sane, with three goals (one draw control). Freshman midfielder Caroline Wakefield was indispensable keeping the ball in the Wildcats pockets with two goals, two assists, six ground balls, three draw controls, and three caused turnovers. Newell showed, yet again, that she dominates in the attack position with one goal, five assists, one draw control, five ground balls, and one caused turnover. 

Leading 8-2 at the half, the challenge for the Wildcats had only just begun as the Oakton Cougars began a full advance bringing in 11 points during the second half. Remarkable coaching led the Wildcats to not be swayed by a man-down field four times during the last ten minutes; they turned their attention to the defense. 

In the net, first season senior goalie, Ayana Teran, was outstanding with 14 saves from a well-seasoned group of Cougar offensive players. Defensive players (and juniors) Danielle Smith and Brooke Peterson held off the rampage. each tallying two ground balls and a caused turnover. There is now no doubt that Centreville has matured to a cohesive team working together to bring home the win.

 —Aileen Anderson

The varsity boys lacrosse team competed during Spring Break in the Woodgrove High School Spring Break Tournament, in Purcellville, Virginia. The Wildcats won all three of their games, facing Williamsburg Lacrosse Club, McLean High School and Edison High School.

The Wildcats faced a tough Williamsburg LC during their first game on Monday, April 2, finding themselves down 5-1 at the half. However, they quickly rallied, and dominated play during the third quarter, scoring six unanswered goals. ended the close game with a victory, final score 10-8.

Scoring goals for CVHS were Zack Sikora (four) and Andy Balberde (three). Nathan Marks, Tyler Vennergrund and Kevin Hagan had one goal each. Assists on the goals were given by Zack Sikora and Andy Balberde. Solid defensive play was provided by Antonio Choi, Jake Hyde and Kevin Brawner. Pat Prosser was back in goal for the Wildcats, having undergone shoulder surgery and rehab in the off season. 

Game two of the Woodgrove Tournament found the Wildcats facing McLean High School. Centreville’s defense was the star of the show, allowing only one goal the entire game.

The stellar defensive performance was led by junior Goalie Pat Prosser and sophomore Goalie Kent Roy; both Roy and Prosser made multiple stops on goal during the game. Superb one-on-one defense was displayed by Kevin Brawner, Jake Hyde and Antonio Choi, completely shutting down McLean’s offensive threat. Man down defense held McLean to -0- goals, with solid LSM performance by Nick Ziegler and Kainoa O’Connor.  

Centreville’s offensive game was highlighted by top scorer Nathan Marks, with four goals for the day; followed by Tyler Vennergrund and Andy Balberde who each had a “hat trick” of three goals; Kevin Hagan had two goals; and Zack Sikora, David Weisbrodt and Sean Doyle each had one goal for the day. Assists on goals were made by Zack Sikora three; Andy Balberde two; Nathan Marks two; and Kevin Hagan, Chase Heiner, Nick Ziegler and Danny Meador each with one. The lopsided victory, with a final score of 15-1, was especially sweet for the Wildcats since they lost a close game to McLean in the 2011 season. 

The final game of the tournament saw Centreville playing Edison High School, in a competitive match, with the Wildcats winning, 9-6. Junior Midfielder Andy Balberde was the high scorer for the Wildcats, with three goals for the day, while David Weisbrodt and Nathan Marks each had two goals. Also scoring for Centreville were Zack Sikora and Tyler Vennergrund, with one goal each. Nathan Marks and Zack Sikora each tallied multiple assists during the day.

Defensive midfielders John Clements and Matt DeVera had impressive games, limiting scoring chances for Edison. Solid defensive play by Jake Hyde, Antonio Choi and Kevin Brawner made for key turnovers, leading to fast breaks. The Wildcats also saw excellent LSM help from Kainoa O’Connor and Nick Ziegler. Pat Prosser helped the Wildcats in goal, stopping numerous shots. 

The team faced a tough Madison High School team Wednesday night, April 11, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season. Although the Wildcats were ahead 3 - 1 at the end of the first quarter, and the score was tied several times throughout the rest of the evening, the Wildcats could not hold on to their original lead. They ended the night with a 13 -10 loss. 

Attacker Tyler Vennergrund, was the leading scorer for Centreville, with three goals for the evening. Other players scoring goals for the Wildcats were Nathan Marks (two); Zack Sikora (two); and David Weisbrodt, Kevin Hagan and Andy Balberde with (one) goal each.  Assists were given by Andy Balberde (three); Tyler Vennergrund (two); Zack Sikora (one); and Nathan Marks (one).  

In their first Concorde District game of the season, the team suffered a 15-8 loss against Oakton. Midfielders Zack Sikora and Andy Balberde were the top scorers for the Wildcats, with (three) goals apiece for the evening. Chase Heiner and Kevin Hagan each had (one) goal during the game. Lending assists to their teammates were Zack Sikora (two); and Kevin Hagan and Andy Balberde with (one) each. The Wildcats’ record now stands at 8-2.

The Centreville JV boys lacrosse team had a tough 11-1 loss to Oakton on April 13. After giving up an early goal, the Wildcats struck back quickly on a great steal by Elliott Cunningham. Cunningham fed the ball to fellow attackman Alex Rizzi, whose shot tied the score at 1-1. Despite tough defense by the Wildcats, the first quarter ended with Centreville down 1-3.

Oakton’s own swarming defense frustrated Centreville shooters in the second quarter, leading to a half-time score of 1-5. The lead gave Oakton the luxury of passing the ball around the perimeter throughout most of the second half. The Wildcats were increasingly forced to press as the game wound down, a necessary risk that led to additional shots and goals by Oakton.

—Eileen Balberde