THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 25, 1996 TAG: 9605250721
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 47 lines
Cox's 2-1 victory over Kempsville in the Eastern Region girls soccer final on Friday night sends the Chiefs to Northern Virginia and the Falcons home.
Not home for good, just home for Tuesday's state quarterfinal against the Northern Region runner-up West Springfield. Kempsville must endure the 4 1/2-hour bus ride to face Northern Region champion Robinson.
``West Springfield won the state championship last year, and Robinson, when we played my sophomore year, beat us 5-0. To us this is a state championship game,'' said Cox senior Robin Dywer, who scored the winning goal in the game played at Salem High. ``We wanted to play at home again; that's really important for us seniors. And just traveling is really tough. We know. We've done it plenty.''
The Falcons (18-3) struck first when Katie McDonald's high boot from the right sideline was just out of the reach of leaping keeper Sarah Willis in the 27th minute. Cox dominated the first half, keeping possession on its side of the field and beating the Chiefs to every loose ball.
Kempsville looked like a new team after the break but continued to struggle with finishing its shots. Cox looked to score again when Johannah Thompson was yellow carded. When play started again, Katie Kubic drilled a high kick that keeper Kelly Sisley tipped just over the crossbar, fooling even the announcer, who initially called it a Cox goal.
Less than a minute later, Kempsville's Brenna Santoro tied the game when Cox keeper Laura McFerrin stopped a shot but let the rebound drop in front of the net. Santoro directed it for the goal.
But almost right away Dwyer gave Cox the edge on a breakaway from the left sideline. Dwyer waited for Sisley to commit and then found the opening on the far post.
Cox outshot Kempsville 14-11 in winning the rubber match. The teams had split a pair of 1-0 decisions, with the Chiefs (14-4-2) winning the district tournament final after the Falcons won during the regular season.
For the Falcons, it was the second consecutive year they have beaten the Chiefs in the region final, and reason to celebrate. During the trophy presentation, McFerrin soaked coach Terri Sawyer with icy water.
Sawyer didn't seem to mind. Afterward she told her team, ``You earned it. The next one's at our place.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MIKE HEFFNER/The Virginian-Pilot
Cox's Robin Dwyer, right, and Carolyn Stumpf celebrate after Dwyer
beat Kempsville goalie Kelly Sisley for the winning goal. by CNB