It’s hard to miss Patti Benner.
The senior 6-footer is one of the tallest players on the Centreville girls soccer team. There are the bright pink cleats with which she relentlessly controls the central midfield, highlighting the unmistakable anchor of the Concorde District and Northern Region champions.
“I love them,” said Centreville senior forward Emily Jukich. “I would never wear them, they’re not my style. But they work for Patti, and they’re good luck so she better keep wearing them.”
A second team All-Examiner pick last season, the George Mason-bound Benner has scored 11 goals this year, including two stellar free kicks in the Wildcats’ region final win over Lake Braddock.
But on a team known for its all-out speed, Benner is known less for her attacking prowess than her physical presence in the midfield and domination in the air.
“She commands the middle, which is phenomenal because we have a lot of jitterbugs — Morgan [Benz], Emily, Cate [Tisinger] and Katie Cramp,” said Centreville coach Warren Williams. “We need a rock, and we anchor everything around her.”
“I think I’ve grown a lot more comfortable to hit people,” said Benner. “I used to be afraid of getting into tackles, but now it’s no mercy.”
Benner began her high school career as an attacking midfielder, but began to emerge as a ball-winner in the region final and Group AAA state final two years ago — both losses to W.T. Woodson.
“I was like, all you have to do is win balls from [Woodson midfielder] Mary Raveia,” said Williams. “That was the beginning of, ‘Patti Benner is going to win air balls.’”
Today the Wildcats are headed back to Newport News, the site of their 2004 defeat, entering their state semifinal against Cox on a 15-game winning streak.
Capturing a state title would cap 10 years together for Benner and Jukich, who are also club teammates. Both took a moment to lie in the grass and savor the home turf at Centreville after Tuesday’s state quarterfinal win.
“Next year is just going to be so sad not being able to play with her,” said Jukich, headed to Virginia Tech.
“It feels so right this year,” said Benner. “Right now we feel like we’re unstoppable. Not that we have it or it’s already ours, but we can do it.”
Gar-Field boys vs. W.T. Woodson
Star power could be the key. Gar-Field junior Eber Martinez, a member of the U.S. under-18 national team and a recent selection to the Parade All-American team, scored four goals in the Indians’ state quarterfinal win over Landstown. However, W.T. Woodson junior forward Joe Barnd (19 goals) is an unmatched talent up front.
Lake Braddock girls vs. Kellam
The Knights surprised the Bruins last year with their rough-and-tumble play, which didn’t help an already injury-plagued Lake Braddock roster, but the Bruins won’t be intimidated twice. Junior Kat Weiler has a goal or an assist in all but one of Lake Braddock’s eight postseason matches. Kellam sophomore striker Brittany Michels (21 goals, 8 assists) had a goal and an assist in Tuesday’s quarterfinal win over Forest Park.
Centreville girls vs. Cox
Centreville senior Emily Jukich (24 goals) has grown into one of the state’s most fearsome strikers — two goals in Tuesday’s quarterfinal easily could have been five. Cox is No. 14 in the latest NSCAA national rankings, but the Falcons are also young, with just four seniors on the roster. One of those is Eastern Region player of the year Liza Woodward (28 goals, 5 assists), who scored the lone goal in Cox’s quarterfinal win over Gar-Field.
