Eagles nip Atlee for Central Region girls soccer title

The Mills Godwin girls soccer team has found its strategy: wait until the last possible second to score the winning goal to render a comeback virtually impossible.

The Eagles did it in a 2-1 win in sudden death in the Central Region semifinal Wednesday, and they did it again in last night's 1-0 victory over Atlee in the region championship game.

With the scoreboard showing zeros as official time in the final two minutes was counted down by the head referee, the Eagles won a ball at midfield. Marie Krider got a step on the defense and entered the left side of the goal box, which brought Atlee goalie Taylor Hoy up in anticipation of a shot.

Krider dodged Hoy with a cross to sophomore forward Sarah Bellotti. She took a step and shot into the open net with about 40 seconds left in the game.

"Marie was making a great hustle play, and I just saw her going and pressuring the goalie," Bellotti said. "She just got a touch on the ball, and I saw it and ran as fast as I could, and I put it in the net."

After resetting, Atlee barely had enough time to make the kick-off before the whistle blew. The Lady Raiders weren't without scoring chances, but the Mills Godwin defense took away two promising opportunities.

Midway through the first half Atlee's Sam Armentrout unleashed a shot from the left side of the goal box. The ball deflected off Godwin keeper Jessie Ashworth to Atlee's Kimberly Glymph, a sophomore. Glymph crossed back to Armentrout, who got off a low, quick shot that went to Ashworth's left. The ball scooted past her, but sophomore defender Lauren Abraham made a sliding save a foot from the goal line.

Abraham took away another goal early in the second half when Glymph got ahead of her defender and her shot from the right side. Abraham again made a slide save close to the goal line.

The Lady Eagles' best opportunities came in the second half, which head coach Ali Toole says is not unusual for her team. "We've been a second-half team lately," Toole said. "I wish we were a first-half team, but they're getting the job done . . . They find another way to surprise us every game."

The Lady Eagles earned a home game in the opening round of the VHSL tournament Tuesday against the second place finisher in the Northern Region. Atlee will be on the road against the winner of the Northern Region final between Oakton and Chantilly. The Raiders remain confident after play this week.

"You learn something from every loss," Atlee head coach Bruce Lovelace said. "We'll take what we learned tonight and move forward."

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

1 -- 1
Atlee ------------------------- 0

0 -- 0

MG: Bellotti

Saves: (MG) Ashworth 6; (A) Hoy 7

Records: Mills Godwin 16-3-1, Atlee 17-1-2