By Alex Page / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
RICHMOND — St. Anne’s-Belfield’s boys lacrosse jumped out to a first quarter lead against Collegiate but the Saints let that lead slip away and fell to the Cougars 13-7 on Thursday in both squads’ Prep League finale.
The victory sealed the Prep League title for Collegiate.
The Cougars, ranked No. 1 in the state coming into the matchup, struck first in the game before the Saints battled back with a goal by Joe Robertson (his first of three on the day) followed by two goals with less than a minute to play in the frame by Chris Woodfolk and Landon Greene. St. Anne’s lead 3-2 heading into the second quarter.
That’s when Collegiate took control. The Cougars offense rattled off four straight goals in the period and held the Saints’ offense at bay on the other end, taking a 6-3 lead into halftime.
Collegiate won the opening face-off of the second half and continued to charge, scoring three goals in the first three minutes of the third quarter. The Cougars held a massive 18-4 advantage on the face for the game in large part due to junior Jed Londrey, which limited STAB’s opportunities throughout the game.
Javon Johnson managed to stem the tide, scoring the lone STAB goal of the period at the 8:37 mark before the Cougars added two more goals of their owns, taking a commanding 11-4 lead into the final frame.
The Saints tallied three late goals in the fourth quarter but it was not enough to climb out of the hole.
STAB goalie Eric Buhle finished with 17 saves on the day. Nick Anders posted a hat trick for the Cougars. Joseph White and Strib Walker each finished with a pair of goals.
Both squads qualified for the VISAA Division I tournament, with the Cougars seeded No. 1 overall while the Saints were slotted into the No. 6 spot. They’ll face Cape Henry Saturday in the opening round while Collegiate gets a bye.
