Contact: Jenni Brockman
Telephone: 804-443-3357 (w); 804-443-2703 (h)
Fax: 804-443-6781
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
St. Margaret's Wins L.I.S. Soccer Tournament.
All season long, St. Margaret's varsity soccer squad has been the team to beat. The undefeated and number-one ranked Scotties emerged champions from last week's League of Independent School's (L.I.S.) Conference tournament with a 1 - 0 double overtime win over league foe St. Catherine's School.
In the tournament semifinal on Wednesday, February 17, SMS played third-ranked Virginia Episcopal School (VES). Senior center-forward Elizabeth Sadler, of Louisa, VA, scored late in the second half to put SMS up 1 - 0. Sadler's goal proved enough, as the Scotties advanced to Friday's championship game versus St. Catherine's.
SMS defeated St. Catherine's 3 - 1 earlier in the season for the Scotties first victory over the Saints in five seasons; in January, playing in Tappahannock, the two teams battled through sixty minutes of tough soccer, tied at 1 - 1.
This time around, the Scotties looked to win themselves a second banner since clinching the regular-season title last week; St. Catherine's sought to reassert itself as the league's premier team, a reputation the Saints have enjoyed in year's past, though the top-ranked Scotties have outmatched the Saints both times earlier this season.
St. Catherine's commenced its warm up in loud fashion as the team's battery-powered stereo blasted hit songs from the sidelines. The Saints, hoping to intimidate, wanted to send a clear message to the Scotties: that they were psyched and came ready to play.
And they did come to play-both teams-as the score remained deadlocked at 0 - 0 at the end of regulation. After two five-minute overtime halves, the seventy-minute game remained a scoreless tie. Coaches selected five from their eleven players on the field for a best-of-five penalty kick shootout to decide the game.
Let the drama begin.
Lauren Steininger, Elizabeth Sadler, Carol Combs, Roz Rogers, and Britt Faulkner were chosen to take SMS' penalty kicks. Steininger, a senior wing-forward, fired the first kick to the far right post, low and away, to give SMS the early advantage. St. Catherine's first attempt was caught for a miss by SMS goalkeeper Cynthia Walker, of Warsaw, VA; SMS led 1 - 0.
Playing in the final home game of her career, Elizabeth Sadler shot second. Sadler, a fifth-year senior and team tri-captain, fired the ball past St. Catherine's goalkeeper to put SMS up 2 - 0 in the shootout. Walker, facing the Saints second shooter, again stepped up big, as the Saints' second shot attempt was swatted away to secure a 2 - nil lead.
Sophomore Carol Combs shot third. Combs, a valuable and talented center-halfback, just missed high on SMS' third shot, a shot that could have won it all; St. Catherine's third shooter also missed high.
Shooting fourth for the Scotties was senior tri-captain Roz Rogers, who plays defensive stopper. Rogers placed the ball in the far right corner on a touch shot, similar to Steininger's, that went past for a sweet goal that put SMS up 3 - 0 in the best-of-five shootout. Roger's goal clinched the 1 - 0 win for the Scotties.
Walker's defensive play in goal was the nail in the hearts of the Saint Catherine's Snails. Walker, an exceptional talent at 6'2", was a tall order the Saints were never able to match.
"Cynthia has skills that a lot of Division I goalies wish they had. She's such a competitor, such an athlete. Cynthia hasn't consistently been tested in goal this year. We knew it might come down to this and with the game on the line, I was not surprised at all to see Cynthia step up like that," said Head Coach Karen McCann.
The win ended a superb season for the Scotties, as the team finished 11 - 1 - 3 overall; 9 - 0 - 3 in L.I.S. Conference play.