Soccer: Super Six! Half Dozen Loudoun Soccer Teams Advance to State Semifinals

Rachel Tharp scores the first goal for the Broad Run girls against Chancellor on Tuesday. (photo courtesy of Brian Campos)

(June 9, 2010) - Loudoun County is home to more youth soccer players than almost any area in the nation and the wealth of talent is showing on the high school level where Tuesday night an amazing six area high school teams advanced to the state semifinals.

In AAA, Stone Bridge swept a boys/girls state quarterfinal home doubleheader before one of the largest soccer crowds in school history with the Bulldog boys beating Patrick Henry-Roanoke, 2-1 in overtime, and then the Bulldog girls remained unbeaten on the year with a 1-0 win over Forest Park. Also in AAA, the Loudoun Valley girls edged Robinson, 1-0, in Purcellville to advance.

In AA, Broad Run swept a girls/boys state quarterfinal home doubleheader before an appreciative and vocal crowd as the Spartan girls blanked Chancellor, 2-0, and the Spartan boys edged Courtland, 1-0. Also in AA, the Loudoun County girls, the No. 3 seed coming out of the Dulles District, advanced easily to the state semifinals with a 3-0 win at Jamestown.

The lone loss on the night for Loudoun came when the Potomac Falls boys couldn't hold a 1-0 lead at Jamestown and fell 2-1.

The AAA teams will play at Westfield High School on Friday with the Loudoun Valley girls facing Cosby at 11 a.m. and then the Stone Bridge boys and girls take on national power Cox at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The AA teams will play at Radford with the Broad Run girls facing Hidden Valley at 10 a.m. followed by the Loudoun County girls and Blacksburg at noon. The Broad Run boys take on defending state champion Blacksburg at 2 p.m..

Stone Bridge Boys 2, Patrick Henry-Roanoke 1
The Stone Bridge boys soccer are moving on to the AAA State Boys semi-finals with their dramatic 2-1 overtime win over Patrick Henry from Roanoke in the AAA State quarterfinals game at Stone Bridge on Tuesday night.

Senior Edgy Levy and junior Ryan Buckley scored for the Bulldogs with Buckley's goal, his second in three games, the game winner in the first overtime. Assisting on Levy's goal was senior Michael Herndon and Adam Hamden provided the key ball to the back post on Patrick Henry's goal for Buckley's decisive header.

Nick Lowrey had several key saves including a breakaway save in the second half to preserve the victory and helped push the team's record to 17-3 on the season. SB is making its first final four appearance in boys soccer.

Stone Bridge Girls 1, Forest Park
The Stone Bridge girls soccer team improved their record to 19-0-2 and made it to the final four for the state tournament with a 1-0 win over Forest Park on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs went scoreless in the first half, but a goal from Ashley Herndon, off a corner kick from Jennifer Skogerboe in the 50th minute of the game, gave Stone Bridge the lead it needed. The defense earned its 12th shutout of the season and Julia Harmison had 5 saves in the game.

Loudoun Valley Girls 1, Robinson 0
Viking sophomore Lexi Clarke scored in the first half and the Vikes blanked a very good Robinson team to advance to the state semifinals.

Clark, daughter of Viking boys coach Danny Clarke, scored on a cross from Tabitha McHale after Ashley Manning had taken a throwin. Didi Haracic earned the save in goal for Valley.

Broad Run Girls 2, Chancellor 0
Two-time defending state champion Broad Run is two wins away from a three-peat after shutting down Chancellor.

Ellie Zoepfl provided the offense in the first half, setting up Rachel Tharp to clean up a shot after she had penetrated the 18 for the first goal and then slamming home a header for the second goal. Zoepfl had the game winner in the Spartans 1-0 state title win two years ago when she was a freshman.

Freshman goalie Haley Casanova continued her fine play in goal this postseason with another shutout.

Broad Run Boys 1, Courtland 0
The Spartans tough defense needed just one goal, a Taylor “T-bone” Johnson header off a Paul Ellington throwin in the 24th minute to move to the state semifinals for the second straight season. Paul Hegedus earned the shutout in goal.

Loudoun County Girls 3, Jamestown 0
The Raiders scored their first goal off a corner kick by Leslie Lyford. Allison Bills tapped the ball in after a shot from Olivia Mackey. The second goal was also scored by Allison Bills with a cross from Shauna Kain. The final goal was scored off a break away from Sydney Chapman.

Jamestown Boys 2, Potomac Falls 1
The Panthers led 1-0 in the second half on Daniel Zambrano's goal off a John Thomas assist but Jamestown scored with 17 minutes to go to tie and then two minutes later went ahead. The Panthers had a goal called back in the final two minutes on an offsides call.