>> PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Annie Ruland MILTON (GA.)
Annie Ruland always played above her competition level, starting in fourth grade, when she joined a league for older girls and blended right in. This year was no different for the senior attacker, who came up big in the Eagles’ biggest games.
>>FINAL GIRLS’ TOP 10
1. Milton (Ga.) ÚThe Eagles (18-3-1) claimed their eighth state title in nine years when they beat Lassiter in the Class 6A final to finish 12-0 against Georgia foes. Milton beat Vero Beach (Fla.) for the first time in six tries. USC signee Annie Ruland (77 goals, 54 assists) and Northwestern-bound Lydia Cassada (67g, 27a) led the way.
2. Vero Beach (Fla.) ÚThe Fighting Indians (20-4) extended their in-state winning streak to 111 games and celebrated their eighth consecutive state title.
Florida commit Katy Pridemore socred 92 goals for No. 2-ranked Vero Beach.
4. Barron Collier (Fla.) ÚThe Cougars (19-4) ended their breakthrough season one game shy of the final four after running into Vero Beach. Junior Olivia Ferrucci (North Carolina) led the offense with 75 goals and 38 assists. Senior Sam Jaffe (Stony Brook) chipped in 63 goals and 24 assists despite spending a third of the season in a cast.
A win over No. 2 St. Anthony’s (N.Y.) highlighted a grueling out-of-state schedule that included four top- 25 teams. Junior midfielder Katy Pridemore (Florida) racked up 92 goals and 29 assists. Senior attacker Lexi Moirano (New Hampshire) added 53 goals and 39 assists.
3. St. John’s
(Texas) ÚThe eight-time state champion
Mavericks (21-2) capped their first perfect season against Texas competition with a win over Ursuline in the TGHSLL Division I final. Senior Lauren Resnick (80 goals), Princeton-bound Amanda Leavell (60g, 34a, 44 DC, 31 CT) and Northwestern signee Robby Rybarczyk (33g, 53 DC) were catalysts.
Walton in the state semifinals before falling to Milton. Senior Johnna Fusco (Colorado) finished with 48 goals, 71 assists, 85 ground balls and 55 draw controls. Junior Cydney Tutchton (Old Dominion) added 58 goals, 15 assists and 50 draw controls.
6. Hutchison School (Tenn.) ÚThe Sting (23-2) won 20 straight games to end the year with their third consecutive state title. Senior attacker Alyssa Herzog paced Hutchison with 95 assists, while juniors Chloe Duke (66g, 13a) and Sandy Smith (55g, 21a and 54 DC) also were major contributors.
7. Benjamin (Fla.) ÚThe Buccaneers (20-2) lost twice to Vero Beach, including in the state semifinals. Benjamin outscored the rest of their opponents 353-172 with the help of dominant play by sophomore Maria Dattolo (100g, 26a) and Hayley Ciklin (81g and 75a).
8. Ursuline (Texas) ÚThe Bears (14-2) knocked out defending state champ Hockaday in the state semifinals but couldn’t keep up with St. John’s in the final. Senior captain Mary Kate Nawalaniec was Ursuline’s best all-around player.
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9. East Chapel Hill (N.C.) ÚThe Wildcats (16-2) rattled off 14 straight wins to wrap up the fourth state championship season in school history. With 18 goals in the final two games, senior attacker Sydney Holman (North Carolina) surged to the state record for career goals (128).
10. Walton (Ga.) ÚThe Raiders started with two losses and a tie, then won 17 straight, a streak that ended against Lassiter in the state semifinals. Freshman attacker Erin McBride (61g, 12a, 51 DC) and junior defender and Kennesaw State commit Laura Jordan (53 DC, 24 CT) will be back in 2014.
5. Lassiter (Ga.) ÚThe Trojans (15-5-1) hit a rough patch mid-season but finished strong, avenging a regular-season loss to
Ruland had a team-high 77 goals and 54 assists, leading Milton to a 6-3-1 record against out-of-state foes, its highest-ever national ranking (No. 8) and its eighth Georgia state title in nine years. “My dad (Mike) played at UMBC and won a national championship there (in 1980), so he was a huge inspiration to me,” Ruland said. “He said he was the worst player on the team, but he worked his butt off, and I always loved that idea that hard work beats talent. He was showing me stick work at a young age, so it was kind of rough when I started in fourth grade because lacrosse is so small here, and no one else really knew anything. It just clicked for me.” A day after playing national No. 1 McDonogh (Md.) as close as anyone else this year, the Eagles beat South Region rival Vero Beach (Fla.) for the first time ever in six meetings thanks to a spark from Ruland. She gave Milton the lead for good with 6:03 left and finished the game with three goals, four assists and six draw controls. A two-time
US Lacrosse All-
American, Ruland produced similarly impressive results in wins over Archbishop Carroll (Pa.) and Hutchison (Tenn.) and in a tie against No. 23 Good Counsel (Md.). “Some of Annie’s best strengths are dominance on the draws and shooting percentage,” Milton coach Tim Godby said. “She’s a smart player and very efficient.”
Ruland, who will now play at USC, has always been a good shooter, but her success on draws was a bit of a surprise. “We had no one left on the team to do it, so I had
to step up,” Ruland said. “I was pulling my coach to the side at practices working on it endlessly. I would constantly play wall ball to strengthen my wrist and help me grab the ball from the other girl. I also am not the tallest girl in the world so I had to work hard to overcome that. It was all worth it in the end.”
August 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 41
©SCOTT MCCALL (KP); © JOHN STROHSACKER (AR); ©ST. JOHN’S (AL)
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