THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994 TAG: 9406040394
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940604 LENGTH: WOODBRIDGE
Matt Whalen, the Falcons' prince of midair, continued his postseason scoring spree with three goals and keeper Ross Brockwell stopped six shots to earn the shutout.
{REST} Three of Cox's goals were lifted over Manchester keeper Sterling Hoy, who received little help from his defense.
Whalen's second and third goals came after the Lancers failed to clear the ball in their penalty box.
``They didn't seem that strong,'' Cox's Scott Tesnow said. ``Maybe that's because we were all over them.''
The Falcons (16-2-2) can expect a tougher test in today's 4 p.m. championship game. Defending state champion Hylton beat Eastern Region champion Lafayette, 2-0, in the second semifinal.
Hylton, which will be playing on its home field, ousted Cox from last year's semifinals, 2-0, and beat the Falcons, 4-0, in March.
Whalen, who has 10 goals in six postseason games, said Cox is up for the challenge.
``We've been really psyched,'' Whalen said. ``Right now this team is playing great and I feed off of that.''
Cox has allowed only one goal in two state tournament starts. Today's game marks only the Falcons' second appearance in the final; they beat Osborne Park, 5-3, in 1990 at Woodbridge High.
To beat Hylton, Cox will need another strong effort from Whalen. He put the Falcons ahead of Manchester, 1-0, less than nine minutes in on a header off Rodney Stoltz's free kick.
``We practiced that before the game,'' Whalen said. ``I hang out at the back post and they didn't have anyone who could match up with me.''
Whalen made it 2-0 early in the second half, punching a grounder through several legs from about 12 yards out. ``That was Tesnow's work,'' he said. ``He took the first shot and it bounced off someone to me. It was a garbage goal.''
Any hopes of a Manchester comeback were dashed when Whalen scored again with 28 minutes left in the half. He caught a rebound about waist high and put it in the top right corner to make it 3-0.
Kjome finished the scoring by taking a head pass from J.J. Steckroth and chipping it in the top of the net.
``The real difference,'' Cox coach Jim Snodgrass said, ``is that we had the bigger, stronger athletes.''
Manchester hoped to play a short, passing game using six midfielders, but Cox coaxed them into playing the Falcons' direct style.
``We knew Cox was more physical and we'd have to play hard,'' Hoy said. ``But instead of playing our game we waited to see what they would do.'' by CNB