It had to happen eventually.

After losing year after year, during the regular season and post season to perennial powerhouse Loudoun Valley, the Battlefield girlfs lacrosse team finally clips the Vikings 12-8 last Thursday night in Purcellville.

It marked the first time out of 11 tries that the seniors on the BHS squad actually dismantled the Vikings and it also gave head coach Jenny Tran her first win over the Bobcats' chief rival out of eight tries during the last three years.

She said that before the game, the seniors mentioned to their teammates that they had been winless all their playing days against Loudoun Valley.

"Let's break the curse," Tran recalled hearing from her veterans.

Sure enough, the girls put on "probably one of the best warm ups," Tran said, explaining that the Bobcat players appeared to be motivated and focused.

Added to the mix was the fact that one of Loudoun Valley's best players had to sit out the game following two yellow card violations in an earlier game against Loudoun County.

That gave Battlefield an extra outlet to apply pressure early, leading to an early 3-0 lead straight out of the gate.

The Bobcats expanded that to 7-3 by halftime and traded five goals each in the second half to hang on to the win.

Senior midfielder Sara Jacobson played a major part in establishing Battlefield's presence on the field by winning five draw controls off of face offs. She ended up shooting 3-for-3 from her position shots and tallied four assists as well.

Meanwhile, Morgan Clark earned a hat-trick herself and an assist while Allie Rash caused three turnovers and deposited a pair of shots into the Vikings' net.

Laura Szczyrba, Mary Margaret McCaleb, Sam Lilley and Corey Eybers also chipped in one goal a piece while Ohio State University-bound goalie Caitlin Hester recorded 15 saves.

The last one marked a personal milestone for the senior as it was her 500th stop in her career, a fact she did not know until later, according to Tran.

"Caitlin in a very active goalie," said Tran, explaining her senior backstop is 'not afraid to chase a ball outside of the crease" and sometimes plays the role of defender so much that she "forgets she's a goalie."

Overall, "this was probably one of the most well-rounded games I've ever coached at Battlefield," said Tran, noting that she had seven different players score, "which is huge for us.

"Everyone contributed to the win," she added.

Compare that game with the one two days later when Westfield thumped the Bobcats 14-8.

"I think that my girls were so emotionally excited after the win against Valley that they thought they could just beat any other team out there," said Tran.

Instead, Westfield come out strong in the second half after leading 6-5 at halftime and routed the Battlefield defense.

"We gave up. Everyone lost hope. No one tried," said Tran. "We failed."

Dejected, some player welted with tears after the game, according to the coach. There was, however, a lesson to be learned from that game in that every opponent has to be taken seriously. Simply relying on statistics or overconfidence won't produce the same level of determination that Battlefield put on display against Loudoun Valley, a team they still have to face against April 25 at home in Haymarket.

"This year, our theme is determination. If you really want something, you have to fight for it and you'll get it in the long run," said Tran. "(It's the) third game of the season, and we've already had ups and downs... It's been an emotional first month for us."