Here's how J.L. Mann lost high school girls lacrosse state title in controversial finish
IRMO – J.L. Mann’s chance to win a high school girls’ lacrosse state championship ended with disappointment and controversy.
Kendall Dungee of the Patriots scooped up a loose ball and flipped past the Wando goalie to tie the score Saturday with seven seconds remaining in the Class AAAAA final at Irmo High.
But there was an echo of referee’s whistle through the cheers.
No goal. Mann’s possession with 7.2 seconds left. But no goal. Was it just an inadvertent whistle? Late whistle for earlier contact.? There was no clear explanation. And the Patriots' second attempt to knife through the chaos in front of the net, this time from a full and lengthy stoppage, came up empty.
Wando celebrated a 15-14 win for the title.
“We did still have a chance at the end,” Mann coach Kristy Schumacher said. “But that was tough.”
“I thought we got it,” Dungee said. “We’ll just have to work harder next year.”
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Senior Noley Hiller, senior Isa Ortiz and sophomore Charlie Parnell all scored three goals for Mann. Dungee, a junior, had two. Almost three.
“It was close. I think it should’ve counted,” Hiller said. “It would’ve been great if it did.”
Mann (16-3) has won seven state championships, the latest in a dominant decade coming in 2018. This was the first trip back since.
Here are more takeaways:
J.L. Mann had to adjust to slower play
Wando’s offense became deliberate and sometimes slow with a second-half lead. There’s no shot clock.
Even in a tie game, 14-14, with more than seven minutes remaining, nearly all of that was drained until the Warriors really tried to score. Cassie Frye did, her fifth of the night, with 33 seconds left.
“That was frustrating,” Hiller said. “They were playing the game. It’s frustrating because there’s only so much a defense can do to get it back.”
J.L. Mann went with freshman goalie
The Patriots have a senior goalkeeper, Sailor Henderson, who has been region player of the year twice and will play next year at Furman University.
But the Patriots also have a standout freshman in Dylan Meagher, who is just behind Henderson in minutes, goal-allowed average and save percentage. Henderson had some terrific plays, making saves and starting the offense with long outlets, but Mann finished with Meagher.
“Just made a switch,” Schumacher said. “All season long, I’ve been playing one in the first half, one in the second. She asked me if I wanted to make a change. I have complete and total faith in Sailor. She’s a phenomenal goalie. I’m not going to take her out of a state championship game. … She was second-guessing herself. I had to do it.”
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: J.L. Mann girls lacrosse loses state title in controversial finish
