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| Woodgrove High School: 2012 AA State Girls Soccer Champions! (photo by Jeff Vennitti) |
Viva Loudoun Editor
Radford (June 10, 2012) - The Woodgrove High School girls soccer undefeated run to the VHSL AA state title wasn't just a one-year display of athletic mastery or even a two-year quest to avenge a 1-0 state semifinal loss to Blacksburg last season.
It was a 3-year epic journey, born in heartbreak at Loudoun Valley High School in 2010 when nine of this year's 11 starters were underclassmen on the Vikings team that fell in penalty kicks to Cosby in the AAA state semifinals, forged in bitterness when the first-year Wolverines out-played Blacksburg in 2011 only to lose 1-0, and finally it ended Saturday with smiles and tears of fulfilled expectations as Woodgrove brought home the new school's first ever state title with a 3-0 win over Dulles District foe Loudoun County on Saturday that followed a 3-0 win over Blacksburg on Friday.
With a roster that features a dozen girls committed to play college soccer -- including six juniors and six seniors -- expectations were indeed high for Woodgrove this season and the Wolverines made good with a 24-0-1 season that included 23 straight wins after an opening week 0-0 tie with Briar Woods.
All six Woodgrove seniors -- defenders Katie Beebe and Lucy Etro, midfielders Lexi Clarke and Charlotte Ratcliffe, forward Tabitha McHale and back-up keeper Addie Healy -- were on the Valley roster in 2010 that came oh so close to the AAA state finals. And Woodgrove head coach Erin Barrett was an assistant for the Vikes before starting the Woodgrove program two years ago.
In 2011, the Wolverines didn't have any seniors when they out-played Blacksburg but were denied another shot with Broad Run as the Spartans rolled to their fourths straight AA state title. This year, as Broad Run moved up to AAA, it was all Woodgrove with Loudoun County (18-5-2) the team in waiting, able to beat everybody else but the Wolverines, dropping all of five of its contests against the Purcellville squad including the Dulles District, Region II and AA state title games.
Unlike the close 2011 Blacksburg contest, Friday was all about Woodgrove's total ball control as the midfield of Clarke, Ratcliffe, Victoria Perry and Ashley Bonner owned possession and Wolverine keeper Maggie Buxton and her calm defensive front of Beebe, Etro, Bergen Elkjer and Brittany Basinger did not allow the slightest of penetration.
McHale put Woodgrove up early on a goal in the 8th minute. Hardison played a ball into her that put McHale alone on the keeper, she made a deft touch to get around the sprawling Bruin and tapped it into the net.
In the 35th minute it was McHale again, this time from a nice ball from Perry, a cross from the right flank, that McHale touched down, turned and fired a rocket from 12 yards out that the keeper had no chance of saving.
In the 51st minute it was Hardison cleaning up a free kick with a big assist to Clarke on the play. Clarke took the free kick and it blasted off the Blacksburg wall and bounced back to her and she then headed right over the wall where the ball bounced aroudn to Hadison who didn't waste any time in slotting it into the net.
In the second semifinal Friday, Loudoun County played an even game with Jefferson Forest that appeared headed for overtime but the Raiders struck with 3:05 left in regulation. Raider senior Shauna Kain, the Region II Player of the Year, created the scoring chance with a flick on to forward Allison Bills.
The Jefferson Forest keeper and Bills arrived at the ball almost at the same time and the ball was batted away but not controlled the JF defense. As the ball got cycled to the feet of freshman Allison Littell, who had her back to the goal, she spun around and buried a shot into the back of the net from about 12 yards out.
Loudoun County came into Saturday's final with an 0-3 mark in AA state finals including a loss to Broad Run in the state finals two years ago. The Raiders gave it a valiant effort Saturday but the Wolverines were just too strong a unit across their starting 11.
Victoria Perry's first half goal in the 17th minute gave Woodgrove a 1-0 halftime edge. Perry gathered in a long pass from Ashley Bonner and made a strong strike from 16 yards out.
It was a foul on Hardison from about 24 yards out that second up the second goal. With 27:12 left in the game, Beebe stepped up and made a beautiful goal off a free kick that struck the left post, a well-designed play that had two Wolverines shielding the shot and Beebe and Ratcliff threatening to take from different angles. Beebe's shot even surprised some of her teammates as it wasn't decided until the last second that she should take it.
Hardison added the finaly tally for the 3-0 victory with 13 minutes remaining as she took a Bonner pass and smacked it in from just inside the 18.
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