DENVER | The Regis Jesuit girls lacrosse team is beginning to collect trophies, but still hasn’t been able to secure the big one.
The Raiders earned their way into the Class 5A state championship game for the first time back in 2023 and had their title hopes stopped by a dynastic Colorado Academy program, while an emerging powerhouse — Valor Christian — prevented a crown this season.
Second-seeded Regis Jesuit worked all the way back from a significant hole to tie up the top-seeded Eagles late in the third quarter of Friday night’s 5A final at Peter Barton Stadium on the campus of the University of Denver, but Valor Christian scored the final six goals for a 12-6 victory.
While the Eagles claimed a second straight state title, the Raiders remain in search of a first. Coach Crysti Foote’s Regis Jesuit team finished the season 15-4.
Junior Natalie Chilton scored three goals, while senior Amina Pope had a goal and two assists and senior Delany Sitzmann added a goal an an assist for the Raiders, who four themselves down 4-1 at halftime.
The deficit grew to 5-1 before Regis Jesuit finally solved a difficult Valor Christian defense to the tune of five goals in the third quarter. Chilton had two of those to complete her hat trick, while sophomore Anna Hodges had the tying score.
The one-period offensive burst wasn’t enough for a Raiders offense that finished the season with the most goals of any team in the state with 398 and had averaged 19 goals per game in its previous three postseason wins (over Columbine, Arapahoe and Kent Denver).
Senior goalie Rayn Parker made six saves for Regis Jesuit.
The Raiders could make another run next season given its four top scorers expect to return in Chilton plus sophomores Hodges, Jasmine Lugo and Addison Kindy, while they will have holes to fill to replace Pope and Sitzmann (their two leading scorers in points) along with a few members of an experienced defense.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
