South River senior midfielder Ali Mattingly clearly remembers the toughest saves teammate and highly-recruited goalie Kim Kolarik has had to make.
“The shots I take on her,” she said with a laugh. “We have a bit of a rivalry. Really, she?s made so many great saves. I can?t think of just one.”
But Kolarik, a junior who will soon be neighbors with Mattingly in Riva where the senior?s family is building a house, still manages to get the last laugh.
“Since I can?t drive yet ? I don?t have my license ? she drives me everywhere,” Kolarik, who has been playing goalie since sixth grade, said. “It?s going to be great having her next door.”
Kolarik gained national attention last year by posting a 6.8 goals-against average when she faced 208 shots. She is considering offers from colleges home to some of the sport?s best teams, including Virginia, Maryland, Georgetown, Duke and North Carolina.
This season, she is the backbone of a defense that is yielding just 5.25 goals per game, but there still is plenty left for Mattingly and Kolarik to prove.
Eighth-ranked South River (7-1) never has won a state title, losing in the championship game in 2001 and most recently falling in the semifinals of the state tournament in 2004. But with Mattingly, Kolarik and one of her most talented teams in several seasons, Coach Julie Norton believes this year?s group can be special.
“I think they can be one of the best groups I have coached in a while,” Norton said. “They just have to figure out how hard they want to push themselves to get there. I have told them need to be here playing 100 percent. It?s got to be an emotional and mental state, too. They can run and hang with the best teams, but it?s more than that.”
South River, which plays in Class 4A/3A started off the season strong, including a 10-7 win over Century which won the 2A/1A state title last season. The Seahawks, however, stumbled against sixth-ranked Broadneck, 16-11, on Monday in a game that was tied at seven at the half. But South River responded by drubbing Chesapeake, 17-4, on Tuesday night, and looks to carry over that momentum tonight at 5:15 against Southern.
Mattingly scored five goals and Kolarik had three saves and yielded just one goal against Chesapeake, as she was removed at halftime.
“I am always hungry for more,” Kolarik said. “If they scored, I?m like, ?I want them to keep shooting them so I can keep saving them.?”
