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The Rockbridge County High School girls soccer team split its final two games of the season last week, recording a 3-1 home win over Broadway before falling 3-2 at James River.
The Wildcats, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Region 3C playoffs, finished the year with a 5-11 overall record.
On Monday of last week, RC celebrated senior night with a 3-1 victory over B roadway, w rapping up Valley District play with a 2-6 mark.
Madelyn Jones scored one goal and set up the other two as the Wildcats completed a season sweep of the Gobblers (0-15-1 overall, 0-8 Valley District). Eleanor Dare and Sophie Vaught also scored for the ’Cats.
The high school was closed last Monday so that RC students and staff could attend the funeral of 18-yearold senior Devin Riley, who died in a single-vehicle crash near Fairfield on May 7.
The girls soccer team dedicated Monday’s game to Riley’s memory. Prior to kickoff, RC also honored its four seniors: Dare, Maliyah Hickling, Abby Hickman and Ali Sanders. With all of these factors at play, it understandably took some time for the Wildcats to settle into the match.
“There’s a huge range of emotions today, with school being closed, playing for Devin [Riley] tonight, senior night – all those things wrapped into one,” RC head coach B.J. Flack said.
The ’Cats were still able to grab an early lead. Dare put RC in front in the 10th minute, delivering a well-placed shot from near the penalty spot after Jones made a run into the 18-yard box and provided the cross.
Yet Broadway, which had fallen 5-0 at home to the Wildcats on April 25, responded with some good attacking pressure of its own. Rylie Garrison equalized from a corner kick in the 34th minute, and the teams headed into halftime level at 1-1.
But the Wildcats dominated the second stanza, outshooting the Gobblers 13-1 and holding a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks after the break. For RC, it was all about tightening up its performance, rather than any strategic adjustments.
“Honestly, we didn’t try to correct anything or change anything tactically [at halftime]. We just told the kids to sharpen up, to take care of the ball better and just clean it up a little bit,” Flack said. “They did that. They were fantastic in the second half.”
RC took the lead for good just over six minutes into the period, when Jones’s chip pass played in Vaught for a breakaway finish. Jones then grabbed a goal of her own midway through the half, picking up a loose ball inside the penalty area and burying a 15-yard strike just under the crossbar.
Lily Brown made eight saves for Broadway – including outstanding close-range stops on Dare and Vaught in the second half – while Sophia Perlozzo recorded four saves for RC.
The Wildcats have put together several impressive performances down the stretch. According to Flack, RC’s improvement throughout the season owes a lot to its senior quartet.
“This year, they’ve been phenomenal,” Flack said. “They make my job so easy with their leadership, their care for all the girls. The vibe on this team is incredible, and that’s in good part because of the seniors and how well they’ve led.”
JR 3, RC 2
RC lost 3-2 at James River in its season finale last Wednesday in Buchanan.
The nondistrict match was originally slated to take place in Lexington, but it was moved to Buchanan due to scheduling conflicts following a round of inclement weather the night before.
The Wildcats took the lead early, when Vaught tapped in from close range off an assist from Jones. But the Knights responded with three straight goals, going in front 2-1 by halftime and extending their advantage shortly after the break.
“After Monday’s huge day, we didn’t have much left in the tank against a well-rested and well-prepared James River side,” Flack said.
JR, which ended the regular season at 7-9 overall, was also boosted by the return of senior Natalie Hughes, who had missed the teams’ first meeting – a 6-2 RC victory in Buchanan back on March 24.
Despite falling behind 3-1 in the second half, the Wildcats kept competing, and Lydia Kendall scored directly from a corner kick to pull RC back within one. The ’Cats continued to press forward, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in finding an equalizer.
“We had moments of brilliance, but again our energy didn’t match, and our touch was just off,” Flack said.
Perlozzo recorded nine saves for the Wildcats.
Although RC won’t participate in this year’s postseason, the program made some significant strides this spring. The Wildcats more than doubled their total of two wins from last year, and six of their losses came by just one or two goals – including three of their six defeats in a highly competitive district.
“It was a great season,” Flack said. “This team really gelled together on and off the field, and we’ll look to improve even more next year.”
