Group AAA boys soccer final: Frank Cox 2, Mills Godwin 1 (OT)

Group AAA championships

CHANTILLY -- With the game headed to overtime, everything looked like it was going well for the Eagles.

They had double the shots of Frank Cox of Virginia Beach, were playing a man up because of a red card and goalkeeper Jack Van Arsdale was unbeatable in the second half. Two minutes later, it all came crashing down. Cox scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory, and the Mills Godwin boys soccer team finished as state runner-up.

The game didn't end with the Falcons' goal -- high school rules dictate that the entire overtime be played -- but the Eagles spent the last seven minutes in the same position they were in all day, having several outstanding shots and nothing to show for it.

"It's tough right now, but this was a great game," coach Herb Modrak said. "Cox deserved to win -- they had great effort and played hard."

Things broke well for the Falcons out of the gate, as a cross from the left side of the field by Ryan Oakes set up a sharp shot by Hunter Byrnes that flew into the left side of the net.

But then the game changed, permanently. In the 23rd minute, Eagles freshman Valeriy Sviderskiy charged after a loose ball, hitting Cox keeper Jonathan Harris hard enough to bring the two to the ground. A foul was called on Sviderskiy, but Falcons defender Chris Albiston took justice into his own knee -- thrusting it into Sviderskiy and drawing a red card that left his team a man down for the remainder of the match.

"Anytime somebody gets one that early, it's a disadvantage," Modrak said. "It's a credit to them that they were able to win with 10 guys."

Four minutes later, Sviderskiy was again in the center of the action, this time finding a way to keep his balance after being tripped and staying up long enough to score the game-tying goal. He did a small dance number on the ground to celebrate his second goal in two nights.

The Eagles kept up their attack, allowing Van Arsdale, who will play for VCU next year, to take a free kick from midfield that he nearly scored on his own.

"Anytime I take a free kick, I'm just trying to play it in there for the guys," he said. "If it goes in, I'll take it."

Despite a 10-3 shot advantage in the second half, the Eagles couldn't put one past Cox, watching shots twice be blocked by defenders after Harris was caught out of position. Still, they had a chance to send the game into penalty kicks, an area where Van Arsdale dominates.

But two minutes into the first overtime, Neil Harrison played a strong header off an expertly-placed Chris Whiteside corner kick. The Eagles had three more strong scoring chances, including one where a diving Harris got his right fingertip on the ball to deny a potential tying goal.

It was an unsatisfying finish to a strong year for the Eagles, who turned heads with their play throughout the postseason.

"I've played with these same guys forever," Van Arsdale said. "It's been a lot of fun."

Mills Godwin ------------------------- 1

0 -- 1
Frank Cox ------------------------- 1

0 -- 2

MG: Sviderskiy

FC: Byrnes, Harrison

Saves: Van Arsdale (MG) 1; Harris (FC) 6

Records: Mills Godwin 18-3-2; Cox 21-2-1