Ponte Vedra girls lacrosse wins regional title

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After beating St. Augustine in the regional semifinals, PVHS girls lacrosse coach Jen Conway said the icing on the cake to an already impressive season would be to make the Final Four.

Mission accomplished.

The Ponte Vedra girls lacrosse team advanced to the state semifinals in dominating fashion with an 18-1 victory over host Gulf Breeze in the regional final last Thursday.

Sami Lowinger scored four goals in the victory, and Taylor Rocha, Pierson Schuchart and Lily Toole added two goals apiece for PVHS.

“Because it was such a long bus ride there, I tried to stay focused and manage our schedule,” Conway said of last week’s matchup against Gulf Breeze. “We got on the field and they just went right to work. It was all business for them. I was so happy to see it.”

The Lady Sharks will take on defending state champion Lake Highland Prep in the Final Four at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the Austin-Tindall Sports Complex in Kissimmee.

Conway said while the team may have looked ahead to making the Final Four, it is not looking beyond that just yet.

“We’re just prepping for Lake Island Prep and I feel if we play as strong as we can in that game and win, then if we just do the same game plan on the next game, we should be OK,” she said.

PVHS (17-3) has stormed through the postseason so far, outscoring opponents 72-14 in its four playoff games. But it’s actually the close games that Conway enjoys the most.

“I think it’s really fun to win at the end of the game, like a last-second win,” she said. “So when we did that against IMG and Bartram, which was also on TV so there was a lot excitement about that, those two are highlights just because it was fun. It’s almost like a walk-off win, which always feels good.”

Lake Highland Prep (19-0) beat Edgewood 26-2 in its regional final game last week to remain unbeaten this season.

Regardless of how Friday’s game turns out, Conway said the season has already proven to be a success.

“I said this [to them] at practice, win or lose, if you walk off that field and feel good about the way you played and the way you executed, that’s all we can ask for,” she said. “It’s been such a fun journey. I think we’ll just feel proud of how it’s ended up.”

The PVHS/Lake Highland Prep winner will play the winner of the game between the Community School of Naples and American Heritage for the state championship on Saturday, May 8, in Kissimmee.

“We’re just all excited to come out and practice this last week,” Conway said. “When it’s over, it’s really going to be felt, the missing of all the players and the coaches. We’ve had a really fun time.”