THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290556
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 49 lines
Kellam and Fairfax entered Tuesday's Group AAA state boys soccer quarterfinal at Kellam with each hoping to continue its first venture into the tournament.
With a 2-1 overtime victory, Fairfax headed back to Northern Virginia to prepare for Friday's semifinal at Falls Church against the winner of Tuesday's postponed match between Manchester and Woodbridge.
The Knights were left shaking their heads in disbelief that their season had come to a close.
Neither team had ever advanced to the state tournament, but both left their butterflies on the sideline and immediately went at it in a hard-fought, evenly played match.
``I don't know what the difference was,'' Rebels coach Chuck Humphries said. ``This was a heck of a game.''
Fairfax (13-5-1) opened the scoring 17 minutes into the first half when Scott McDonald controlled a loose ball to the left side of the Kellam goal. He turned and fired to the right post to beat Knights keeper Mike Pekera.
``People usually mark (leading scorer Richard Tacaraya) pretty tight and Kellam did a good job of that tonight,'' Humphries said. ``But we've got other people who can score.''
Kellam (14-4-1) tied it with about six minutes left in the game when Bryan Daniels sent a pass to Peter Anderson as he streaked up midfield. Anderson beat a defender and blasted a shot from about 25 yards that skirted off the bottom of the crossbar and into the goal.
Kellam had a chance to win with just under two minutes left, but Chris Phelan's try from the left side was saved by Rebels keeper Geoffry Goode.
Fairfax then won it just over a minute into the first of two mandatory five-minute overtimes.
Again it was McDonald, this time taking a nice serve from Steve Rafuse as he dashed down the left sideline.
``That open man was it,'' Kellam coach Don Hart said. ``We had a lot of opportunities and we felt it was pretty even. I guess that was the only difference.''
``Kellam has good speed and it bothered us,'' McDonald added. ``We usually play the long ball, but they forced us to settle and pass more.
``I guess it worked out for us.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON, The Virginian-Pilot
Fairfax and Scott McDonald, left, took down Kellam and Peter
Andersen during the state quarterfinals on Tuesday. Both teams were
competing in the state tournament for the first time. by CNB