Lady Cavs lead club to title

Published 10:08 pm Tuesday, March 8, 2011

The Saints Blue field hockey club, with Lakeland seniors Kendell Combs and Kelsey Smither, won its pool championship in the Under-19 National Indoor Tournament in Richmond Friday-Sunday. Saints Blue went 5-1-1 in the tournament. Combs will be attending and playing field hockey at VCU next year. Smither is going to ODU.

Lakeland seniors Kelsey Smither and Kendell Combs helped their Saints Blue indoor field hockey club to a pool championship at the Under-19 National Indoor Tournament in Richmond Friday-Sunday.

Saints Blue went 5-1-1 in its eight-team pool during the three-day event inside the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Saints Blue finished a half-game ahead of a squad from Lancaster, Pa. and scored 20 goals in the seven matches. Clubs from Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Kentucky were also in the pool.

Smither and Combs were two of the eight seniors who led Lakeland to the VHSL Group AAA state championship this fall with a 24-0 record.

Email newsletter signup

Smither, who’s going to Old Dominion this coming fall, set the new national high school assist record for a four-year varsity player. Combs, who’s going to Virginia Commonwealth, finished her Lady Cavalier career among the all-time national leaders for goals in a high school career.

In the indoor version of the sport, six players are on the court per team. Saints Blue had nine players on its roster, with five being from Hampton Roads.

Eight fields inside the Greater Richmond Convention Center hosted 124 teams and 868 matches.

USA Field Hockey is holding the Under-16 and Under-14 National Indoor Tournaments Friday-Sunday at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.