by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com
(804) 240-2191
For 79 minutes and 42 seconds, Thomas Dale dominated Mills Godwin.
But a girls soccer match goes 80 minutes in regulation.
The Eagles scored just before the final whistle, and Marie Krider‘s goal in the third overtime gave Godwin an improbable 2-1 victory over the Knights in the Central Region semifinals.
Thomas Dale, winners of 25 straight Central District titles, has yet to reach a state tournament. It looked like the Knights would punch their ticket Wednesday night.
John Kabler‘s bunch played inspired and confident soccer, getting two corners just two minutes into the match.
The Eagles, headed to their seventh straight state tourney, were on their heels.
Then in the 32nd minute, Meghan Richards lifted a shot that Godwin keeper Jessie Ashworth saved but couldn’t hold on to. Sarah Haws followed the offering and put it in easily for a 1-0 lead.
The advantage looked rock solid. Dale’s defense was stifling, as Godwin couldn’t get anything going.
Even the routine plays that the Eagles usually complete with ease were going out of bounds or being halted by Dale defenders like Samantha Kuda and Hannah Robbins – for all but 18 seconds.
Lauren Abraham slipped a ball through three Dale defenders to Sarah Bellotti‘s feet. She slipped it past Dale’s diving goalie Chrissy Dowlen to shock Dale’s crowd and ignite Godwin’s faithful.
“It was such a great goal. It just showed how much work ethic we have,” Abraham said. “I came up from defense and I saw an opportunity to pass the ball to Bellotti. I called Marie off, who played an awesome game. I played it to Bellotti and it worked out from there.”
“She screamed at Marie,” Bellotti said. “She played it and I was just trying to get to the ball as fast as I could.”
Just as fast regulation ended, two overtimes elapsed and the dangerous Anne Lumpkin lined up a corner kick. It was a beauty.
Ellen Upton tried to head it in by jumping in front of a Dale defender. She missed, but it ricocheted right to Krider, who knocked in the winner with her left foot.
“We came out and we were ready to win. I think we kind of underestimated them a little bit,” said Krider, who will lead the Eagles against Atlee in the final, who beat Midlothian 2-1. “They came out strong, we weren’t really ready for that. They got one in in the first half.
“After that goal we were just fighting for it.”
For 80 minutes and more.
Mills Godwin 0 1 0 0 1 – 2
Thomas Dale 1 0 0 0 0 – 1
MG: Bellotti, Krider
TD: Haws
Saves: Ashworth (MG) 7; Dowlen (TD) 5
Records: Mills Godwin (15-3-1); Thomas Dale (17-2-1)
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