Maybe it was the perfect time for a loss. Centreville’s girls soccer team was running roughshod over the Northern Region with a 6-0 record entering an April 26 game at Westfield.
But the second-ranked Wildcats had never lost to their Concorde District rival. It would never be a perfect time for that.
It happened that night, though, a 2-1 defeat and ensuing Westfield celebration that showed Centreville exactly how much opposing teams value a win over the defending region champs. It’s a lesson the Wildcats hope again carries them deep into the postseason.
“It was horrible,” said Centreville senior forward Morgan Benz. “But that definitely isn’t a game we ever want to put behind us.”
It was disheartening enough to carry over into Centreville’s 1-1 draw with No. 1 Robinson four days later.The Wildcats eventually shook out of their funk. They tied Stone Bridge, the top team in the Liberty District, 2-2 last Thursday and got playing time for a ton of younger players in a 0-0 draw with Mount Vernon on Friday.
“It may have taken well into the second half of the Robinson game before the girls got over it,” said Centreville coach Warren Williams, whose team scored a late goal to salvage the tie with the Rams. “But even if they weren’t thrilled with their play, the effort was always there.”
And that’s why the Wildcats are as good a bet as any team to win the region title, even after the recent four-game winless skid.
They stood at 6-1-3 going into Monday night’s game at Oakton and finish out the regular season against Herndon tonight and No. 10 Yorktown on Thursday. Centreville will likely enter the Concorde District tournament next week as the No. 2 seed.
Nine starters are back from a team that won the Concorde District title and scored 18 goals in four games en route to the region championship. Centreville’s run eventually ended in the Virginia Group AAA state semifinals with a 1-0 loss to Frank W. Cox. Freshman forward Jenna Richmond has filled in beautifully for graduated forward Emily Juckich (Virginia Tech). She is tied for a team-high six goals with Benz.
“We feel like this is our time,” said Benz, who is part of a core group of seniors who also helped the Wildcats reach the state final in 2004. “Our goal all season has been to get back there and finish the job this time. We’re comfortable playing in those kinds of games.”
Repeat, Repeat
» Six different Centreville players have scored at least three goals this season
» Junior defender Jordan Grant is one of the team’s best set-piece specialists. She has four goals, including the game-winner on a free kick with four minutes left in the 1-1 draw with top-ranked Robinson.
» Centreville’s 2-1 loss to Westfield on April 26 was it’s first in 12 games against the Bulldogs.
