Albemarle’s balance got them to the 5A state semifinals. Matt Crist put the Patriots in the final, there’s really no other way to describe it. Albemarle never trailed against Loudoun Valley, but things sure got dicey from the third quarter into the fourth where the Patriots watched a healthy lead evaporate. With just over six minutes left, there was no secret elaborate plan.
“The approach was give the ball to Matt,” Patriots coach Dave King said. “The other guys picked up the ground balls and then just gave the ball to Matt. Sometimes you just make it real easy.”
Crist netted his fourth and fifth goals in the next four minutes, and with time winding down, drew a handful of slashing penalties — and also one on a suplex — to all but guarantee the Patriots the win. Albemarle spent the final moments of Tuesday night playing catch and with the 8-6 victory, will head to Lake Braddock to play for its first ever state title.
“Win or lose these guys have done it the right way all year,” King said. “That’s what we’re most proud of. I’m glad we came out on the right side as a team that played hard and clean. Now we get another chance to play on Saturday.”
The Patriots got off to a solid start as they dominated the ground ball game and consequently owned the time of possession battle. However it wasn’t until with 5:27 left in the first that Albemarle could convert on their many possessions. Off a pass from Ian Davis, Crist connected on his shot to make it 1-0. On goals from Zach Willis who was assisted by Andrew Hogg and then another strike from Crist who caught another Hogg pass, the Patriots had a 3-0 early in the second quarter.
The last seven minutes went back and forth with the Vikings getting on the board with Sully Warner making it 3-1. Albemarle responded by taking a 5-1 lead with Willis and Hogg getting goals just over two minutes apart. Valley cut the deficit to 5-2 with 34 seconds left in the second half with Chase Miller converting on his shot.
Albemarle seemed to remain in control after Crist picked up the hat trick four minutes into the third quarter, but it would be nearly 14 minutes before the Patriots grabbed their next goal and the senior put together the amazing fourth quarter finish. Just 39 seconds later, Loudoun Valley put together it’s best stretch of play together. In two minutes, the Patriots saw the 6-2 shrink to a 6-5 lead with the Vikings Tanner McClelland grabbing a pair of goals. Early in the fourth, Patrick Hopkins found the back of the net and changed the tone of the game.
“We lost a couple of faceoffs and they’re a good shooting team and started shooting a lot,” King said. “But our guys rallied.”
From there, both teams were patient in their approach. But when Crist scored goal number four as he wrapped around the net from behind, the tone changed again. Albemarle was content to go to work on the clock and four minutes later, Kevin Benardino cleared the ball, hit Willis with a pass who then found a streaking Crist and the game was 8-6.
“This is something you think about in your first day of try outs — you want to play your best right here (in these kinds of games),” Crist said. “Luckily we were able to pull it out in the end. It got a little chippy at the end, but nobody wants to go home right now. It’s the final four and that’s the way it should be. Now we get to play in the one game we’ve always dreamed about.”
It was a game where Albemarle, a smaller team that thrives on finesse play that had already absorbed plenty of bumps and bruises, but the last two minutes were particularly intense as Loudoun did all that it could to get one last possession to try and make things interesting. Crist drawing the slew of penalties late all but erased those hopes.
“We don’t win pretty all the time,” Crist said. “Most of playoff games have been close. It’s just about stepping up, being a leader and making plays when the game is one the line.”
Albemarle will travel to Lake Braddock on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. where it will face Loudoun County who dispatched Western Albemarle, 15-11 in the other semifinal.
“None of us have been there,” Crist said. “My older brother (Billy) played on some teams where they made the final four but they just couldn’t get to this game. This is what you work for for four years really and we’re one game away.”
