By Angela Watts
Managing Content Editor, DigitalSports.com

** Look below the story to find dozens of video highlights -- plus a post-game interview with Oakton senior standout Ashley Kimener -- from Wednesday's Northern Region title game.

A storm blew in and hovered overhead at South County during half time of the Northern Region girls' lacrosse championship on Wednesday night.

But those clouds that opened up to drop rain -- and the winds that whipped throughout the stadium -- had nothing on Hurricane Ashley, which proved a whirlwind on the field.

Oakton senior standout Ashley Kimener, who totaled nine goals in the game, including three in a mere :42 seconds in the opening minute of the second half, almost single-handedly led the Cougars to a 14-12 victory over the Chargers to secure its second consecutive regional title.

Chantilly entered the game with a 15-1 mark and two regular-season wins over Oakton under its belt. But the young Cougars (10-6), who returned only four seniors from a team that captured the Virginia AAA championship each of the past two seasons, have finally come of age.

"For us to get to this point, it just shows the incredible amount of work that these girls have put in," Oakton Coach Jean Counts said. "Together, as a unit, they've developed team chemistry and cohesiveness -- the stuff that being on a high school team is all about. They know it's going to be over so soon ... every game we win, we're so grateful we have one more game together to practice. And with every practice this team is just getting better."

Trailing 7-4 at the break, Oakton came out firing in the second half of play. Kimener was as the forefront of the attack, scoring at the 22:43, 22:32 and 22:01 mark to immediately knot the score at 7.

Kimener was so focused on the run she didn't even stop to celebrate after the goals, instead turning to spring back to midfield to handle the next face-off.

The Cougars got another unanswered goal by sophomore midfielder Jackie Alexander with 20:51 to play to take it first lead since the opening goal at 8-7 and did not trail again. Chantilly knotted the score only once at 8 with 20:18 remaining on one of four goals by junior midfielder Brittany Griel, but Oakton regained the lead less than two minutes later on yet another Kimener score and never looked back.

Cougars' senior goal keeper Tory Morgan proved impenetrable in the closing minutes, not allowing the Chargers to score in the last five-and-a-half minutes of play, including stopping several point-blank shots.

"We knew we could keep up with them, it was just a matter of time in the other games," Kimener said. "If we had a few more minutes we would have won those games as well, but the time ran out. ... But this game meant a lot to us. We wanted this regional title."

Oakton, despite perhaps still being the underdog, would also like to successfully defend its back-to-back Virginia AAA titles. The Cougars will host the No. 3 seed from the Northwest Region on Saturday, May 31 in the eight-team state tournament field. Chantilly, meanwhile, will face the No. 2 seed out of Region II, with the site and time to be announced.

Westfield, which defeated W.T. Woodson in Wednesday's consolation final to earn the region's third and final state tournament berth, will travel to face the No. 1 seed from the Northwest Region, also on Saturday.

"This year we had to prove so much more," Counts said. "It started with our first loss to Westfield. They beat us 14-10 fair-and-square, and that was kind of the beginning of a long regular season. And so we've re-evaluated what we need to do for the playoffs and we've re-focused and are patient and are being smart and we're playing good basics.

"I give a lot of credit to the girls ... just to show that they are fearless and will go out there and do whatever they can for each other."

Including, as Kimener proved, be a one-woman storm for her teammates.


Oakton   4  10 -- 14
Chantilly  7   5 -- 12

GOALS
1st Half
OK Ashley Kimener 23:39
CH Kaitlyn Stillwell 21:59
CH Kaitlyn Stillwell 21:10
CH Brittany Griel 20:06
CH Elizabeth Dunwoody 15:11
OK Ashley Kimener 14:26
CH Elizabeth Dunwoody 14:02
OK Allison Maher 11:14
CH Brittany Griel 10:01
OK Ashley Kimener 9:20
CH Jessica Dennis 2:52
2nd Half
OK Ashley Kimener 22:43
OK Ashley Kimener 22:32
OK Ashley Kimener 22:01
OK Jackie Alexander 20:51
CH Brittany Griel 20:18
OK Ashley Kimener 18:24
OK Blair Keffer 16:45
OK Ashley Kimener 16:16
CH Kaitlyn Stillwell 16:04
OK Lauren Burke 13:44
CH Elizabeth Dunwoody 13:18
OK Ellen Brigham 7:04
CH Elizabeth Dunwoody 5:51
CH Brittany Griel 5:49
OK Ashley Kimener 2:00