Robinson’s girls lacrosse team was sick of running.
The Rams raced all over the field on Tuesday in a thrilling Northern Region tournament first-round game vs. Annandale, where the two teams totaled 31 goals. They did it again in the first half of Thursday’s region quarterfinal at Langley, a transition team that thrives in open space.
It was time to change tactics. Featuring a far more patient approach in the second half, Robinson controlled possession and took Langley’s defense apart to turn a halftime deficit into an 11-7 victory.
The Rams (8-5) advanced to the region semifinals — 7 p.m. Monday at Oakton — against the winner of last night’s quarterfinal between Chantilly and Loudoun Valley. Langley, the Liberty District champion, finished its season at 11-5.
“The second half was probably the best we’ve played in a while against a really strong team, maybe all season,” said Robinson senior midfielder Marnie Commins, whose team outscored Langley 6-1 in the final 25 minutes. “We know what we’re capable of doing. But now we want to put it all together for an entire game.”
The Rams scored three times in the first 10 minutes before Langley crawled back into the game, thanks in part to three goals from sophomore midfielder Maggie Kovacs. The Saxons appeared in good shape at halftime with a 6-5 lead.
“But sometimes an entire season comes down to how much guts you have,” said Robinson coach Alison Neun. “Against a team like Langley you have to dig deep or it won’t happen.”
So the Rams slowed the pace and parked Commins in the left corner behind Langley’s goal. Time and again she found a teammate for an open shot. Commins tallied all four of her assists in the second half and finished with seven points to fuel Robinson. The Rams also received a strong effort from senior goalie Joyce Kim (eight saves), who made three point-blank stops to thwart the Saxons in the second half.
“I feel like we have everything we need to make it back [to the Group AAA state tournament],” Kim said. “I know if I play like that then I can be that final piece to help get us there.”
FINAL-FOUR BOUND
» The Rams won the last time Langley and Robinson met in the Northern Region quarterfinals. It was a 13-3 victory in 2004.
» Sophomore midfielder Maggie Kovacs led Langley with three goals. Senior Sara Morse added two goals while junior attack Nora Luce had two assists.
» Robinson sophomore attack Megan Dunleavy totaled a game-high four goals. She was one of six Rams to score.
