Girl's Lacrosse | 5/6/2025 12:31:00 PM
Columbia, SC – The old saying is that good things come to those who wait, and for the Oceanside Collegiate Academy girls' lacrosse team, the wait was a little longer than expected, but definitely worth the extra time.
Friday night at Irmo High School, the Landsharks had to wait out a 2 ½ hour weather delay in their SCHSL Class AAAA state title game against rival and defending champion Bishop England. Oceanside had built a 10-3 lead by the break, but had to scramble after play resumed to hold off the Battling Bishops to take a 12 8 victory, earning the programs' second state title in three years.
"We know how hard we have worked this year and how much time we have all put into this," OCA coach
Ashley McCulloch said. "For these seniors, who were freshmen when I started here, it is nice to have seen them go through the program at this level and end on such a good note.
"I am so proud of our team - they have been focused since the beginning of the year and this was our goal - to win another State Championship. We knew it wasn't going to be easy against a really tough Bishop England team that we had never beaten."
The Landsharks, who entered play ranked as the No. 1 team in South Carolina, earned their first win over rivals, who came into the match as the second-ranked team in the state. BE owns seven state titles since 2015, having beaten the Landsharks in the playoffs in five of those seasons.
"We all wanted to win this so badly, and we have been preparing in practice at 7 every morning all season to get here," senior co-captain
Teagan Scott said. "It has been brutal getting up that early every day, but I would do it over again one thousand times if it would lead us back here."
Scott, a two-time All-American and Clemson signee, led the Landsharks with six goals and three assists while also dominating possession by winning 19 of her 24 draws taken. She also forced a pair of turnovers and had three ground balls in the victory.
Scott scored five of her goals early and assisted on two others as the Landsharks built a 9-3 halftime advantage.
Cadyn Clark's second goal in the first minute of the third quarter pushed the lead to 10-3 just before lightning and heavy rain halted play.
"If anyone had any doubts that she (Scott) is the best player in the state, let's just say she put those to rest," McCulloch said. "We talked about winning possession and Teagan and
Kaitlyn Boerst were absolutely dominant on the draw. Our attack played poised and were able to move the ball effectively. Senior
Ashlyn Key and
Cadyn Clark both played great with a pair of goals and senior
Lila-Jane Finlayson chipped in one as well and was big for us in transition as well."
Bishop England came into the contest having won seven of the last eight state titles and with a 16-2 record. The Bishops came out of the long weather delay as the more aggressive team, and Hannah Rosato scored two goals in five minutes to trim the OCA lead to 10-5.
Scott, however, added her sixth goal with 2:42 remaining in the quarter to push the lead to 11-5.
Bishop England's Natalie Noone scored with under a minute remaining, but OCA answered late in the quarter on a goal from
Ashlyn Key to take a 12-6 lead into the fourth quarter.
Whitney Jellison's goal early in the fourth brought the Bishops to 12-7, while Noone added a goal to make it 12-8 with just under eight minutes remaining in the game.
"Major credit goes to our defense, led by Senior
Gianna Hayes," McCulloch said. "We are young, with a sophomore and two freshmen, but they really rose to the occasion when we needed a big stop. Junior keeper
Sadie Belle Small delivered as she always does in the clutch and finished with nine saves and a huge ground ball at the end of the game."
Senior co-captain
Cadyn Clark said winning this championship was about more than just one game.
"We have been trying to reach this goal for four years, since we were freshmen," Clark said. "For the freshmen on this team, this is about understanding what it means to win a title. To beat this team that we have been trying to beat for the last four years is such a joy. It is also bitter-sweet because we are going to miss this team so much. I am so glad to be able to say that we finally got this win."
The Landsharks' coach agreed.
"This win isn't just about another title; it's a testament to all the hard work, sacrifices, and unity that have defined our team throughout the season," McCulloch said. "Overcoming a tough opponent, handling adversity with the long weather delay, and staying composed in the biggest moments says a lot about the leadership and culture of this team. Every single person stepped up when it mattered most, and we are so proud."
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades
Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and X. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.
