NW1 Regional Girls Team Wins 1st WDNT Championship in Double Sudden Death Overtime Thriller

Sometimes just getting to a major national lacrosse tournament is almost as hard as winning the tournament itself. That’s how the journey began for the NW1 Regional Team as they tried to make their way to Baltimore with a major flight delay in Detroit.  Memorial Day weekend hosts the US Lacrosse Women’s Division National Tournament at the McDonough School near Baltimore where the NW1 team traveled to compete against the nations best regional teams.

After almost a full day delay, they touched down in Baltimore late on Friday afternoon and began gathering themselves for the challenge ahead, clear underdogs if you follow Northwest girls Lacrosse on a National scale.  The NW1 would have to get their game faces on if they hoped to write a new chapter in the history of Northwest girl’s lacrosse.

Competing in the 8-team Cayuga division, Saturday would start with a battle of wills as the NW1 team tied their first game against Upper Atlantic 8 to 8. NW1 would came out strong with two solid victories in games 2 and 3, beating Southwest 1, 11 to 2 and Upper New England 3, 17 to 7. The momentum would carry over into Sunday, starting with their first game.

Sunday's opponents reeled from the explosion, as the NW1 team beat Southeast 3, 13 to 5 giving them birth into the championship match at 2 PM. The final game against Great Lakes 3 see-sawed back and forth as both teams score 6 goals to ending regulation tied 6-6. After three minutes of the first sudden death overtime, the score remained the same. During the last minute of the second sudden death overtime, it looked as if the NW1 Team would cinch the victory, but Mariah Walk's goal was called back on a whistled 3 second violation. #8 Mariah Walk (Bainbridge) was given the penalty shot on goal, but the goalie stopped the shot, but couldn't keep control. #16 Victoria Maxon (Holy Names) picked up the rebound and shot it over the goalie and into the history books winning the game 7-6.  A very tired, but happy NW1 team accomplished what no other Northwest team had ever done before.  For the first time in the 28 year history of the girl’s tournament, a team from the Northwest won.

This win was a solid testament to the high level of lacrosse being played in the Northwest. This victory will also give the future NW1 team a higher seed in the 2009 tournament. The 2008 WDNT Cayuga Division Championship team was coached by Tami Tommilla (WA) and Tucker Pierson (OR).