The Chantilly girls' lacrosse team is making an unexpected run to the top thanks to a few familiar faces.
The senior trio of goalie Megan Waters, attack Christina Griel and midfielder Kristy Ziegler have helped thrust Chantilly (7-1) into the Virginia AAA Northern Region elite in what initially looked like a rebuilding season following the graduation of 13 seniors.
Attack Christina Griel, midfielder Kristy Zeigler and goalie Megan Waters, from left, are all headed to Virginia Tech. They have led Chantilly (7-1) after last year's team graduated 13 seniors.
(John Mcdonnell -- The Washington Post)
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_____Games to Watch_____
BOYS
Highland (3-4) at McLean (5-2), Saturday, 10 a.m.: In the first round of the second annual McLean Invitational, the host Highlanders face Highland and standout senior Nic Bell. The winner plays in the final at 5 p.m. against the winner of Mount Vernon and Paul VI.
W.T. Woodson (5-1) at Lake Braddock (4-2), Monday, 7:15: The Cavaliers' only loss this season came against top-ranked Landon, 11-2, and their victories have come by a combined 65-19.
GIRLS
Osbourn Park (4-0) at Forest Park (3-1), tomorrow, 7: Cardinal District Player of the Year Kristi Artenian and the Bruins play host to the Yellow Jackets, who appear to be one the AAA Northwestern Region favorites.
Oakton (6-1) at Lake Braddock (2-0), today, 7:45: Oakton has an impressive win streak since dropping its season opener, 9-8, to No. 7 Robinson. The Cougars will try to slow Lake Braddock's sister duo of Alex and Natalie West.
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The Chargers' only loss this season was to then-No. 7-ranked Robinson on April 6, and their quick start can be traced to the preseason, when first-year coach Michele Gates presented a couple of simple options to her team.
"I told them, 'If you want, you can be the team that lost 13 seniors and is building for the future, or you can be the sleeper team,' " Gates said. "I left it on their shoulders."
So Gates turned to Waters, Griel and Ziegler and asked them to assume larger leadership roles. Griel, in particular, has taken her game to new heights. She has scored a team-high 31 goals, including five against Jefferson on Monday.
"Basically we're all completely starting over," Griel said. "It's a new coach, a totally new atmosphere and a totally different team from what we had last year. But that's a good thing. From the beginning we laid out the line that we're going to start from scratch and this is what we're going to do."
What the three players have offered to their younger teammates is a lesson in cohesiveness. Griel and Waters have played on varsity since they were freshmen, and Ziegler joined as a sophomore. They play together in the offseason for the Future Elite club, and all three committed to play for Virginia Tech next season.
"We all know how to work with each other," Waters said. "It's a just a real comforting feeling to play with people like that."
