EAST RIVER — It was hot at the East River Soccer Complex Monday night.
Battling a spring heat wave and a tenacious pressure opponent, the Graham G girls defeated the Virginia High School Bearcats 4-1 to claim their second straight Southwest Regional Tournament title.
“It was a hot day, probably one of the hottest days of the season, but they stepped up,” Graham head coach Lee Brown said. “I thought they kept their composure. I thought they played physically tough.”
“We encourage each other and try to stay calm throughout,” Graham offensive genius Ella Dales said.
The G-Girls (16-0) celebrated with the regular season and district trophies after the final whistle after hitting 11 shots on goal.
Dales scored all three goals in the first half, the first coming 10 minutes into the game when he tipped a glass burner through the keeper's fingertips and over the goal line, before Dales made it 2-0 11 minutes later with a spin shot inside the box.
The first-half winning goal came from a connection that spanned three-quarters of the pitch, with Cadence Owen unleashing a towering pass downfield for Dales to finish with 6 minutes, 48 seconds left before halftime.
Dales said, “We know our roles. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, so we just try to bring out those strengths.”
Dales said, “We know our roles. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses, so we just try to bring out those strengths.”
Emmy Spalding extended the lead to 4-0 with 12:03 left in the second half. Spalding, who was in a difficult situation in front of the goal, turned around and poured the ball into the left side of the goal.
About two minutes later, the Bearcats' Mary Katherine Wilson drove the ball in from the edge of the goal box, stopping Graham from winning the shutout.
Virginia High School head coach Justin Haden said. We always talked about how if you want to go where you want to go, that's the standard. And hopefully tonight we learned that. ”
Noting the Bearcats' 13-5 record, Haden added: “We've been successful the last few years and they've been successful. So it's going to be a good, hard, physical game every time.”
said Tori Kariuki, the Bearcats' athletic goaltender. They play with all their heart. We could have been better at communicating…but once we establish communication…no one can beat us in this area. ”
District championships carry emotional weight, but both teams' next games were already decided before Monday's first kick.
In the Region IV Tournament opener, Graham will host Lee High School, the Mountain Seven District 4th place team, at East River on Thursday at 5 p.m. Virginia High School will play at home against John S. Battle, the third place team in the Mountain Seven.
Dales said the district tournament title “meant a lot to us. It gave us the confidence to power through the rest.”