This one may not be over yet, but Orange County now has the upperhand.
Just a week after Monticello dropped Orange at the Hornets’ home field to earn the No. 2 seed in the Jefferson District tournament, Orange returned the favor with a 1-0 win over the Mustangs on a rainy night at Monticello in the tournament semifinals.
The win earns the Hornets a home game in the first round of Region II play, and will likely send Monticello on the road in the regional tournament. Orange also gets to take on Western Albemarle Thursday for a shot at the Jefferson District tournament title.
The two teams have gone back and forth this season and could potentially see each other again at the Region II championships. The win was a big step for an Orange team that has struggled at times to play 60 minutes of aggressive hockey — that wasn’t an issue Tuesday.
“Tonight we come out with the elements and didn’t let the game affect us,” said Orange coach Tricia Grabeel. “Tonight we played really well, stuck with it and plugged away the entire time.”
Orange struck early in the game to take the 1-0 lead, with Kayla Hooper knocking home the ball after Lauren Seal reversed a ball back into the circle less than five minutes into the contest.
Monticello seemed to answer at the 16:26 mark when a big cross slipped past Orange goalie Sarah Edmondson, but the goal came from well outside the shooting zone and was disallowed.
Neither team got that many great chances after that, with midfield play dominating the run of the game for the rest of the contest. None of the goalies touched the ball much, with both teams’ defenses handcuffing the opposing offense. Orange’s defense didn’t even surrender a short corner, and Monticello gave up about two corner opportunities.
The loss to Monticello last week gave Orange a renewed sense of focus, and that, according to Hooper, is why the Hornets were able to maintain focus despite the rain.
“We just really wanted this game,” Hooper said. “After we lose a game it really hits us and we feel like we have to get it back.”
Monticello, with Region II tournament seeding still on the line, takes on Charlottesville Thursday at 6 p.m. in the district consolation game. Orange faces Western at 7:30 p.m., and has already earned a home game in Region play.
