When you’re trying to make program history, it’s not going to be easy. You’re going to have to find a different gear, a new definition of hard work that can take you to the next level.
Fluvanna girls soccer found that next level.
“We worked through practices so hard, Coach (Kat) Ditta and Coach (Kristin) Davis have given us every tool that we’ve needed and we just had to use the tools that they’ve given us,” said Fluvanna’s Maggie McWilliams. “We knew how important this game was.”
The Flucos used all those tools and earned a state tournament berth for the first time in program history Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory over Charlottesville High in the Region 3C semifinals. Fluvanna, who started the tournament as the No. 8 seed and picked up wins over Liberty Bedford and No. 1-seeded Waynesboro en route to the region semifinals.
Evelyn Demers scored the game-winner with 2:32 left to play in the match that had been a scoreless tie up until the moment Demers finished off a ball that ricocheted to her feet just in front of the goal.
“I told Eve ‘you are going to score Eve, you’re gonna score’ and she did, she finished it out,” said freshman Piper LaRochelle. “It was a good combination and just Eve finished it and I didn’t even know what to do, everyone was just so excited.”
The loss ended the prep careers of a pair of seniors for Charlottesville’s young roster, seniors that have been a fixture for the Black Knights during their tenure.
“I’ve coached them now for four seasons and they’re more than players to me, they’re the best people, the best young women that a coach could ask for,” said Charlottesville coach Marcelle Van Yahres. “Liz Burns has probably contributed more to our program than any player offensively has and Amalia Ventre has been the rock for our defense.”
The Flucos had been probing to create a counter attack goal all night against the Black Knights. Charlottesville’s talented scorers up top led by Burns make defensive focus a necessity against the Black Knights and Fluvanna managed that threat well with goalie Shelby Crawford posting a shutout in net. Then the Flucos found the exact right time to attack.
“We were definitely working to get a counter and press forward as a group and when we did that, it worked out,” said Fluvanna coach Kat Ditta. “Doing everything together, everything we’ve talked about these last couple of weeks, we had a breakthrough.”
That breakthrough set off a celebration for the Flucos after the goal and then after the game as Fluvanna advanced to a region final and the state tournament for the first time in school history. It’s an impressive accomplishment for a program that regularly has to endure one of the most challenging districts in the state of Virginia before jumping into postseason play.
“This is one of the most cohesive groups that I’ve coached in my time here,” Ditta said. “When they set their mind to something they will work and work and work regardless of what that might be.”
They worked their way right on to the state’s biggest stage next week. But Thursday they get a shot at another program first when they head south to Lynchburg to take on Liberty Christian Academy at 7 p.m. Thursday with Fluvanna’s potential first region title on the line.
Scrimmage Play correspondent Malachi Keys contributed to this report.
