Godwin reaches state boys soccer final

CHANTILLY -- The Mills Godwin boys soccer team has been wearing red uniforms for a while.

The whites have been in the closet because that's the uniform that the home team -- the favorite -- gets to wear. This hasn't been a problem for the Eagles, just as it wasn't yesterday as they defeated Hickory-Chesapeake 2-0 to advance to the state final.

"I like being the underdog," senior Garrett Harvey said. "All these teams come in and think, 'Oh, we can beat these guys.' Then we surprise them."

For the Eagles, yesterday's victory was proof that they can win even in less-than-ideal circumstances. A heavily whistled game with 34 fouls, seven yellow cards and at least four injuries never had much of a pace, but the Eagles were still able to create several scoring opportunities.

In the first half, it appeared the team would come through at any point. Matt Bley got an open look but was tripped up, Matt Nye hit a header into the post, following that up by missing high on the rebound, and Brian Clark missed just wide left.

The opportunities were there, the goals weren't. But goalkeeper Jack Van Arsdale, who will tend net for VCU next year, kept the team in the game, shoving aside the Hawks forwards to grab a loose ball in his own end with 15 minutes to play.

"At halftime, we knew we had a lot of chances, so coach said to keep our heads up and one of them would go in," Harvey said. "Sure enough, it did."

It took a while, though. Aaron Riedel played a ball to Nye, who tapped it over to Clark. Clark lauched a rocket that settled into the far left side of the net.

"That felt like a weight lifted off our chest," coach Herb Modrak said.

After watching the Hickory defense break down, things became easier for Godwin. In the 77th minute, Russell Bootwright sent a ball to freshman Valeriy Sviderskiy, who was stopped by Hickory goaltender Andrew McMillan. But Sviderskiy stayed on his feet and punched in the insurance goal.

"After the goalkeeper hit it, I didn't lose focus or walk away," he said. "It's the state semifinals you don't want to give up."

The end of the game also took a while as injuries and fouls became the norm. Blake Smith sustained an injury that took him off the pitch, but the team ground out a victory.

"That's definitely not the style we want to play," Modrak said. "We want to be able to knock the ball around and play with speed, use our big men."

They'll get a chance to do that today as they face Frank Cox-Virginia Beach, a 4-0 victor over Westfield-Chantilly.

The title game is scheduled for 4 p.m., 30 minutes after the girls team plays for its first championship.

Whichever opponent it is, they'll come in as the favorites against the flying-under-the-radar Eagles.

"If people want to keep underestimating us," Modrak said. "That's fine."

Mills Godwin ------------------------- 0 2 -- 2
Hickory ------------------------- 0 0 -- 0

MG: Clark, Sviderskiy

Saves: Van Arsdale (MG) 0; McMillan (H) 7

Records: Mills Godwin 18-2-2; Hickory 15-6-1