THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 1996 TAG: 9605250719
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 40 lines
Kellam continued its string of firsts by capturing the Eastern Region boys soccer title with a sudden-death penalty-kicks shootout victory over Kempsville on Friday at Salem High.
For the first time since the Beach District began soccer in 1977, the Knights (15-3-1) captured the league title, advanced to region play and, by making it to Friday's final, to the Group AAA state tournament.
And by winning the region crown, Kellam also earned the right to stay home for Tuesday's state quarterfinal round, hosting Northern Region runner-up Fairfax at 7 p.m.
Kempsville (15-3-1) will travel to play Northern champion Herndon at a yet-to-be-determined site.
Kellam and Kempsville went to sudden-death penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 tie in regulation, through 10 minutes of overtime, 10 more minutes of sudden-death overtime and a full set of penalty kicks. The teams each hit four of five penalty kicks to send it to sudden-death penalty kicks.
Even then, the matter took several attempts before Kellam was able to end the matter.
Kellam's Josh Price was snuffed by Brian Richards, and Ryan Haggerty was stopped by Kellam keeper Tim Wheaton. Ed Stockunas then hit for Kellam and Mike Greene matched.
Ryan Key beat Richards by shooting right while Richards went left. Wheaton then stopped Andrew Blackmore with a correct guess to the right for his second save in penalty kicks.
``It's hard, because I'm cold . . . and because you have to guess which way they're going,'' said Wheaton, the Knights' backup keeper, who goes in for penalty kicks.
Jay Gunia scored, ironically, on a penalty kick for Kellam in regulation, beating Richards after Bryan Daniels had been dragged down in the box by Bayne Keenan with about nine minutes left in the first half.
Although Kempsville finished with a 22-11 shooting advantage, the Chiefs only managed to finish once, the tying goal coming with 45 seconds left when Joe Moriarity headed in a pass from Mike Greene off a Carter Burgess throw-in. by CNB