Lakeland High School’s field hockey team shared a conference with the impressive York High School and eventual state champion Tabb High School, but the Lady Cavaliers were strong this year, too, garnering considerable all-conference recognition.

Ten Lakeland players were selected, including four on the first team, five on the second team and one among the honorable mentions.

“I was really pleased considering we came in third in the conference, and Tabb and York are very strong teams, so I felt like it really meant a lot and said a lot about the caliber of players we have,” Lady Cavs coach Cortney Parker said of her team’s all-conference haul.

The Lady Cavaliers making the first team included senior center midfielder Stasha Waterfield, senior center forward Shannon Leonard, junior left back Kaylene Thomas and junior goalkeeper Deleah Scott.

Parker said the things that earned Waterfield recognition were “her presence in the midfield, her strength and her shot. She’s just got a great shot, and the amount of goals she’s had, she was one of our dominant players on the team, so she sticks out in any game.”

Waterfield had 11 goals and five assists for the year.

As for Leonard, Parker noted she probably stood out, in part, because of her game-winning goal against York during the regular season and her overall skills when she is within striking distance of scoring.

“She’s got incredible speed and stick work in front of the goal, so I think those were the two things that really stuck out,” Parker said.

Leonard had six goals and five assists this year.

Kaylene Thomas had three defensive saves this season to go with one goal and one assist. Parker highlighted the formidable challenge that Thomas faced down each game at her primary defensive position.

“The left side is the weak side for field hockey, and she plays that side, so she’s playing the other team’s strong side,” Parker said. “They’re coming down the right side, which that’s the side the stick’s on — it’s harder to defend, and she just does really well playing that side of the field.”

Thomas is also on the corner team.

Deleah Scott did not play the entire season, but that did not stop her from putting up remarkable numbers in goal.

“I think that was what really impressed the other coaches were the amount of saves and the amount of time that she had in the goal,” Parker said.

Scott ended up with 57 saves and nine goals allowed.

Parker noted how Scott, while she was in goal against Tabb, held the Lady Tigers scoreless. Then, “when we played York, she played really well both games. So I think that’s what kind of impressed the other two coaches,” Parker said. “It was well-deserved.”

Lakeland players selected to the second team included junior Kendall Lewis, junior Haley Beale, freshman Sydney Beale, junior Lexis Munford and freshman Allison Thompson.

Lady Cavaliers senior Taylor Roten received honorable mention.