Mills Godwin loses girls state soccer final

SLIDESHOW: Godwin vs. Chantilly

CHANTILLY -- Somewhere along the line, Mills Godwin girls soccer coach Ali Toole gave up.

In her first year as coach, she decided she would get the players to follow a strict schedule during practices and warm-ups for games. But on a team of free spirits, it never quite took.

"They're just so . . . silly," Toole said. "I tried to get them regimented, but they resisted it."

Coach and players came to an understanding, building a team chemistry that paid off with a trip to the state championship game, where Godwin fell to Chantilly 2-1 yesterday. They tied the 2003 Clover Hill team for the best finish by a Richmond-area team.

That loose demeanor before games paid off for the Eagles, as they controlled the first five minutes of both games they played in Chantilly. Yesterday, though, the edge faded in a hurry against a Chargers team that had dominated opponents all season.

It came down to the Eagles to attempt one last comeback -- like they had all postseason. They've even got a saying for themselves when they're behind at halftime: "We've waited 40 minutes for this."

"We've been a comeback team before, and we were looking to do it again," junior Marie Krider said. "After our first goal, we thought we had it."

Godwin's first goal came with 12 minutes to play, as Krider cut into a 2-0 deficit and altered the dynamic of the game.

Up to that point, the Eagles had been sluggish in the second half, and their coach was urging them to keep their heads up.

But goalkeeper Jessie Ashworth was up to the challenge, deftly fielding nearly every ball that came her way.

"She did a phenomenal job, and she's just a freshman" Toole said. "She gives it all she's got every minute of every practice, and she really inspires the others to do likewise."

The goal, and Chantilly's move to a more defensive game, also altered the general trend of the game, which at times made it seem like the Chargers were getting to play downhill. They launched 29 shots to Godwin's six, many of them redirects that demanded a tough save.

Chantilly struck first in the 23rd minute when Katie Menzie snuck a shot through a swarm of players in front of the net, who screened off Ashworth from seeing the ball until it was rolling through the left side of the goal.

In the second half, they scored two minutes in as Olivia Colella took advantage of a free kick given after a yellow card was issued against Godwin.

The comeback began in earnest 20 minutes later, but ultimately proved to be too little for the Eagles.

Mills Godwin ------------------------- 0

1 -- 1
Chantilly ------------------------- 1

1 -- 2

MG: Krider

C: Menzie, Colella

Saves: Ashworth (MG) 10; Jancuska (C) 0

Records: Mills Godwin 18-4-1; Chantilly 20-2-1