MORGANTOWN – If there was any argument about who the top teams were in West Virginia for boys and girls lacrosse, that debate was put to rest on Saturday evening on the campus of University High School atop Baker’s Ridge.
The University girls’ and the Morgantown boys’ lacrosse teams captured the WVSLA Division 1 state championships on Saturday evening at Mylan Pharmaceutical Stadium, putting a stamp on two remarkable campaigns that culminated in championship wins.
UHS junior Anna McBee was named MVP of the girls’ championship game with three goals and a pair of assists to help the Hawks defeat crosstown rival Morgantown 10-6 in a contest that saw the Mohigans claw back from a five-goal deficit to within one in the second half.
The Hawks won their second consecutive championship after a triple-overtime victory over Fairmont Senior in 2024. Still, it’s the first for new head coach Hailey Mostacciuolo and her assistant Megan Sheehan.
“We came out a little nervy today, but our girls grew as the game went on and they lit the burners when needed,” Sheehan said. “We put the turbo on early, which helped us run away with it at a crucial time.”
As Sheehan mentioned, the Hawks were in high gear in the opening quarter, scoring four goals without conceding.
The Mohigans opened the second with their first goal, but McBee answered with two in a row to push the lead to five. MHS scored a late goal through Lilly Staples to enter the locker room with the UHS lead at four, 6-2.
“Getting off to a fast start is something we have been emphasizing all season,” Mostacciuolo said. “Scoring the first goal and getting off to a good start sets the tone for our game,s and that’s the first thing we said to them about this game today.”
MHS began the second half on the front foot with three goals, cutting the lead to one midway through the third quarter. But that’s as close as it would come to the UHS lead, as McBee scored her third goal to push the Hawks back ahead by two. Jillian Benn added another, and UHS entered the fourth leading 8-5.
Morgantown scored the opening goal of the final quarter to come within two goals, but Bailey Wilson netted two more goals for the Hawks to end the game as they took home their second state title in as many years.
“When we arrived at the program, these players were open and honest with us,” Mostacciuolo said. “They took feedback, gave us feedback, and everyone built a strong trust in each other. The bond off the field and the chemistry on the field is a testament to these girls and their teamwork and love for each other and the game.”
UHS finishes the season 15-1 without a loss to an in-state team.
BOYS: Morgantown 18, Linsly 7
Aydan Shepard continued his dominant playoff run, lifting MHS to its second state championship in three years. Shepard scored six goals on Saturday against Linsly to earn MVP honors as the Mohigans took home the trophy with an 18-7 victory over the Cadets.
MHS controlled the game from the opening quarter, turning the jets on in the second half to pull ahead by double figures.
“This one feels good,” MHS head coach Jeremy Bennett said. “It’s a unique feeling; a special feeling. Especially as a coach, you know, you almost feel like a parent to these kids. I’m so proud of them and how they bought into our goals and what they’ve learned throughout the season. They earned this.”
MHS entered the halftime break leading 7-3 with six scorers in the first half.
The third quarter saw back-and-forth action but without a goal for the first six minutes. Eventually, Linsly scored to cut the MHS lead to three, but the Cadets wouldn’t come any closer as MHS scored four more before the end of the quarter and began the fourth leading by seven, 11-4.
Linsly scored two quick goals in the first 20 seconds of the fourth, but MHS closed the door with seven more goals in the final frame, all from a different Mohigan, to take home the title.
“This team makes it fun because you don’t have to worry about doing much to motivate these guys,” Bennett said. “We can worry about coach lacrosse and getting down to the X’s and O’s. We don’t have to sit down and have a whole meeting about how we need to play hard. It makes coaching fun and easy.”
MHS ends the season 15-2 without dropping a game to an in-state opponent and outscored opponents 288 to 127.
