Girls Soccer: Unbeaten Stone Bridge Seniors Determined to Leave their Mark on Program

(May 16, 2013) - A group of Stone Bridge High School seniors, six of whom helped the Bulldogs win the 2010 AAA state girls soccer title, are determined to leave their mark with another playoff run. Stone Bridge is 14-0-2 on the season and rolling through the competition in the first week of the postseason with a pair of 4-0 wins over Jefferson and Langley.

Stone Bridge will play for the Liberty District title at McLean at 8 p.m. on Friday and then the Bulldogs will head to the Northern Region tournament.


In Wednesday's 4-0 win over Langley, senior forward Ashley Herndon put the first goal into the net off a pass from junior defender Gracie DeGooyer. Senior forward Murielle Tirnan scored the second goal of the night heading in a throw in from senior defender Ariana Alston. The Bulldogs were up 2-0 at halftime.

Freshman midfielder Lindsay Gallagher scored her second goal of the season off a ball from sophomore midfielder Lauren Brower. Herndon scored the final goal of the night by heading in a cross from Tiernan. Junior goalkeeper Natalie Grundler had fours saves for her sixth shutout game of the season.

On Monday against Jefferson all four goals came in the first half of the game. Eighteen minutes into the game, Tiernan sent a cross into the box to Herndon who shot the ball past the keeper for her first goal of the night. Five minutes later, Tiernan was taken down in the box and earned a penalty kick. She took the kick and sent it over the keeper's head to put the Bulldogs up 2-0.

With less than two minutes remaining in the half, Brower took a corner kick and senior defender Corinne Giroux headed the ball into the corner of the goal for her first goal of the season. With just seconds remaining, Brower took a free kick that Herndon deflected with her head for the final goal of the night. Senior goalkeeper Kelly Stancik had two saves.

Herndon and Tiernan, the Liberty District Co-Players of the Year, combine for the most lethal scoring combination, perhaps in the state, with Herndon scoring 21 goals with 10 assists on the season and Tiernan scoring 20 goals with 12 assists.

Herndon will play at James Madison next year and Tiernan at Virginia Tech .. and they aren't alone in college plans as the Bulldogs have seven players committed including six seniors: Herndon (JMU), Tiernan (VT), Alston (Florida Atlantic), Carson Cyphers (VCU), Giroux (William and Mary), and Emily Lung (Loyola). Junior DeGooyer is an early commitment to play at Miami.

Since April 23, the Bulldogs have out-scored opponents, 28-1, with six shutouts. On the season, Stone Bridge has poured in 62 goals and allowed just 10. The Bulldogs defense has allowed more than one goal in only one of the 16 games this year, in a 4-2 win at Herndon.

Last year the club was surprised in the state quarterfinals at home and this year's team appears to have the talent and resolve to make another deep playoff run.

2013 Stone Bridge Girls Soccer Season
W 4-1 at West Springfield 3.14
W 2-0 at Robinson 3.20
W 2-1 (OT) South County 4.1
W 5-1 at Broad Run 4.2
T 1-1 Chantilly 4.4
W 4-2 at Herndon 4.8
T 1-1 at South Lakes 4.9
W 2-1 (OT) Madison 4.11
W 3-1 at Fairfax 4.19
W 3-0 Langley 4.23
W 3-0 at Briar Woods 4.24
W 5-1 McLean 4.30
W 5-0 at Marshall 5.2
W 4-0 Jefferson 5.8
W 4-0 Jefferson 5.13 (district quarterfinal)
W 4-0 Langley 5.15 (district semifinal)