Rockbridge Girls Win Three

Wildcats Stay In Soccer Playoff Hunt

Keeping its playoff hopes alive, the Rockbridge County High School girls soccer team earned a 2-1 comeback win at home over Staunton in the final game of the regular season on Friday evening in Lexington. It was the third consecutive victory for the Wildcats, who beat Broadway 4-0 at home on Tuesday of last week before cruising to a 7-0 road win over East Rockingham.

The Wildcats (8-8-0 overall, 6-6-0 district) were down 1-0 when Staunton (8-6-2), a nondistrict rival also battling for a playoff spot, scored when Elizabeth Lowman scored inside off a cross with 8:40 left in the game.

About a minute later, the Wildcats answered when Lucy Boller-Pinkham converted a point-blank shot to tie the game 1-1.

RC senior goalkeeper Sophia Perlozzo made several of her 11 saves over the next few minutes to keep the score tied.

The Wildcats then scored the winning goal when, after taking a corner kick, Lydia Kendall got the ball back and fired a long shot from outside of the box, from Staunton goalkeeper Emma Mayson’s left side, with 2:55 left.

Praising Kendall, RC head coach Danny Wheeler said, “If I had to choose one person to do the corner kicks, there you have it. She’s proven time and time again to drop the ball where needed, and this is the second time in two key games that she has done such.”

Kendall said her first thought after making the long kick was, “Please go in.” The thought then changed to that “of joy and all the emotions,” she said.

Wheeler said Kendall, a junior, “was moved around quite a bit tonight, in different positions. I eventually put her on the wing just to try to make something happen because of her footwork and her knowledge and field sense. She comes in clutch.”

Proud of his players for a complete team effort, Wheeler, in his first year at the helm for RC, said the Wildcats “are a team of patience, and they sense urgency. As I said to the coaching staff earlier tonight, it would be a game of patience, and our conditioning paid off, and everybody stepped up when needed. The rotations, the substitutions, everything worked to our advantage.”

The Wildcats, who improved throughout the season, winning five of six games after an 0-4 start, were waiting to find out on Monday night if they would be one of the eight teams to advance to the Region 3C tournament, which is scheduled to start with the quarterfinals tonight, Wednesday. For updates, visit www.thenews-gazette.com. Last year, the Wildcats went 5-11-0 and did not make the playoffs.

Perlozzo, who made her 300th career save earlier this month, reflected on how far this program has come in her time at RC. When she was a freshman on the varsity team in 2021, the Wildcats went 1-9-0, losing by the mercy rule almost every game in a season that was delayed and condensed due to COVID-19.

Proud of the Wildcats’ younger players, Perlozzo said, “I’ve been a part of this program for five years, and it means a lot that they stepped up, and they really want this as much as us seniors, who have been here and who have dedicated a lot of their time.”

“Now we have a chance at regions, and it’s just a big monumental moment, and I’m really proud of my girls for stepping up and doing their thing,” she continued. “Hopefully, it works out in our favor because these girls deserve it.”

In addition to his players stepping up, Wheeler gave credit to his coaching staff for the turnaround, especially Carrie Dietz, in her first year as an assistant coach for the Wildcats. “She and I work very well together,” said Wheeler. “She brings in technical aspects, and she’s a master of it. In the last two nights, she and I have made a lot of adjustments that the players had not been acquainted with, that they have quickly adapted to. As we sit, we will probably have to make adjustments in the game, and so she’s great to collaborate with. It’s a dynamic duo. It really is. I’m so appreciative of that.”

RC 4, Broadway 0

Madelyn Jones’s hat trick propelled the Wildcats to a 4-0 win over Valley District rival Broadway on a rainy Senior Night on Tuesday of last week in Lexington.

Jones scored midway through the first half and twice in the opening 10 minutes of the second period as the Wildcats completed a season sweep of the Gobblers (2-12-2, 1-10-1). Emily Jones added a late goal for RC, while Perlozzo made seven saves.

Morgan Widner logged seven stops in goal for Broadway.

Madelyn Jones opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, spinning off a defender about 40 yards from the byline and tucking in a cool finish on the resulting breakaway chance.

The junior playmaker, who missed the previous week’s action due to an injury, returned with a vengeance on Tuesday, running circles around the Gobblers’ defense for most of the night.

“She just had an outstanding performance,” said Wheeler of Madelyn Jones. “She went into the game very focused on … just wanting to have a celebratory Senior Night [for her teammates]. She accomplished what she set out for.”

Jones gave the Wildcats firm control of the contest with two more markers early in the second half. Just over a minute in, her long shot caromed off the hands of Widner, hit the crossbar and deflected in off the Broadway keeper. Roughly eight minutes later, she made a lengthy run into the 18-yard box, snuck past two defenders and completed her hat trick.

RC was able to protect its large lead well, limiting Broadway to a handful of half-chances in the second half. Perlozzo only needed to make two saves after the break to finish off her clean sheet.

“That’s been our focus all season: to have that tight defense and play for possession,” Wheeler said. “As always, I’m just very satisfied with how they respond to the work in practice and apply it to the game.”

Just six minutes from time, Madelyn Jones forced another save out of Widner, but Emily Jones was there for the tap-in to finish off the scoring.

Shortly after the varsity contest concluded, RC honored its four seniors: Perlozzo, Nellie Orrison, Sophie Vaught and Faith Walker.

“They’re just willing to work and to … set high standards for themselves as far as the game of soccer goes,” Wheeler said about his senior quartet. “A coach cannot ask for any more.”

RC 7, ER 0

The Wildcats coasted to a 7-0 road win over district rival East Rockingham (0-142, 0-11-1) on Thursday.

Boller-Pinkham led RC with three goals, Kendall scored two goals, while Walker and Madelyn Jones each scored once.

Perlozzo, who was hardly challenged, made one save.