Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994 TAG: 9406040057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Three Dog Night played Victory Stadium on Friday night. Three 'Dogs also accounted for a boys' soccer victory at William Byrd High School.
The Martinsville Bulldogs - led by three seniors - knocked off previously unbeaten William Byrd 2-0 in a Group AA state semifinal.
Greg Barth and Matthew Durand scored Martinsville's goals, and goalkeeper Todd Johnson, a converted forward, shut out the Terriers.
The Bulldogs defeated 1993 state champion and previously unbeaten Blacksburg 3-2 in two overtimes Tuesday night.
Martinsville (16-4-1) will play Tabb, a 2-0 winner over York, on Wednesday night in Martinsville. It will be the Bulldogs' first appearance in a state championship soccer game.
Byrd defeated Martinsville a week earlier in the Region III championship game in Martinsville.
"This time we put the ball in the net," said Pete Scouras, the Bulldogs' coach. "Last week we played hard, but just couldn't finish up."
The Terriers controlled the game for the first 18 minutes, outshooting their opponents 7-1. Barth scored at the 21-minute, 56-second mark on a direct free kick from 20 yards that found the upper-right corner of the net.
"I thought about [trying to score on the kick]," Barth said. "As soon as I hit it, I knew it was a goal. It was the best shot I ever had in a game like this."
It was only the second time Byrd (19-1) had trailed this year. Jefferson Forest scored first against Byrd last week, but the Terriers rebounded to score the next four goals.
This time, the Terriers didn't recover.
"The whole thing turned around after that," said Jeff Highfill, Byrd's coach. "I think we're as good as they are and they're as good as we are, and Blacksburg's probably as good as both of us. It came down to a break.
"It's a shame that the only game we lost all year is one that we don't have a chance to get back," Highfill said.
"But you've got to hand it to Martinsville. They had to beat two teams that were undefeated, in the same week, on the road . . . And they did it."
Martinsville iced the game midway through the second half, when Durand beat Byrd goalie Jason Criss on a left-footed shot from point-blank range. Marty Martin got the assist.
"Me and Marty were trying to work it all night," Durand said. "Finally, he got the ball and I called for it, and it worked."
Johnson moved to goalkeeper four games ago. He has given up three goals. Although he has played goalie in previous seasons, Johnson is his team's leading scorer this year. "I wanted to do what was best for the team," he said.
Johnson throttled Byrd's attack.
"I probably scared my defense a lot, because I kept going out there [away from the goal] to get balls," Johnson said.
"It's hard to beat a team twice," said Andy McCaskill, Byrd's leading scorer.
by CNB