What already was an outstanding season for the Yorktown Patriots became the best in program history when the girls field hockey team won a region championship for the first time.
Yorktown (19-1) captured the 6D North Region tournament with a 3-0 record, blanking the host and defending champion Madison Warhawks, 1-0, in the Nov. 3 title match of the high-school competition.
Olivia Stafford took a pass from her sister Emily Stafford and scored the goal with 11:14 left in the match on a fastbreak situation, snapping Madison’s string of five straight shutouts.
“We were definitely hoping to have a season like this,” Yorktown coach Olivia Shipley said. “A lot of these girls have played together for a long time in high school and in club field hockey. This team is competitive, plays with a lot of energy and they are hungry for championships.”
The Patriots’ previous best finish in the region was second in 2019 when Yorktown earned its initial state-tournament berth. As a result of winning the region, for the second time in program history, Yorktown again moves on to the Virginia High School League’s eight-team Class 6 state tournament.
Yorktown enters the state tournament with a 13-match winning streak, including nine shutouts, and a championship in the Liberty District tournament.
In other region-tourney action, Yorktown blanked Westfield, 2-0, in the first round, then topped South Lakes, 3-1, in the semifinals. Both matches were at Yorktown. Alexis Williams scored two goals against South Lakes, with Olivia Stafford having the other and region Player of the Year Emily Stafford adding an assist.
Junior goalie Morgan Stone earned the shutout. Other Yorktown starters in the region final were Piper Gill, Olivia Morgan, Katie Bernhardt, Elena Reiser, Taylor Chase, Lily Randles, Caroline Brickley and Julie Mudry.
Brickley, Williams and Emily and Olivia Stafford are top scorers.
In Yorktown’s win over Westfield, Brickley and Olivia Stafford scored the goals after a scoreless first half.
“This is a balanced team on offense and defense,” said Shipley, who played at Yorktown and was a member of the Patriots’ 2008 National District championship team. “We don’t rely on just one or two players.”
NOTES: Shipley was chosen as the region Coach of the Year. She has coached in the Yorktown program since 2015, as freshman and junior varsity head coaches before taking over the varsity . . . Williams, Brickley, Randles and Emily Stafford were chosen first team all-region. Olivia Morgan made second team . . . In 2019, Yorktown lost in the region final to eventual state champion Langley, then went 0-1 in the state tourney, falling to W.T. Woodson. Coincidently, Yorktown began the 2021 season with a 7-1 victory over Woodson. Current Yorktown players Mudry, Chase, Brickley, Emily Stafford, Brynn Baskins and A.C. Fatemi were members of that 2019 team . . . In the 2020 region tournament, Yorktown lost to eventual champion Madison in the quarterfinals, 2-0. “That loss bothered us and motivated us for this season,” Shipley said.