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Test of All Tests: Albemarle and Western girls soccer deadlock

Photo by Bart Isley

Albemarle and Western’s girls soccer clash isn’t about playing beautiful soccer. It’s not really even a match at its heart. It’s a test. 

 

A test of toughness. A test of who can impose their will. 

 

“All around, the soccer wasn’t exactly pretty — this was a really physical, emotional and mental battle,” said Western Albemarle freshman Reese Mattern. “Everyone is just fighting for the win…we just want to get the ball in the back of the net.”

 

This season’s first edition of the battle between the reigning Class 5 and Class 3 state champions had a little bit of everything in it — except a winner. The area’s two premier programs deadlocked at 2-2 after overtime in Crozet Monday night.

 

“That was so fun, they’re a great team, Jake (Desch) is a great coach and we were thankful to be able to hold on for the ride and get settled into what we wanted to do,” said Albemarle coach Amy Sherrill.

 

On a team with several dynamic, well-established scorers, it was junior Katie Manley, a player who has emerged in a big way this spring, who twice yanked Albemarle back from the brink of defeat. Albemarle went into a hole with just under 11 minutes left to play when Mattern struck after swiping a pass between Albemarle defenders. The lightning quick freshman then sprinted past the defenders and put the Warriors up 1-0. 

 

“An Albemarle defender was passing back to the center back and I read it really well,” Mattern said. “I was like ‘this is my chance to intercept it.’ Then I just dialed in and focused on the corner.”

 

Albemarle answered quickly, with Manley notching the equalizer about one minute later after she similarly created a turnover deep in Western territory. Manley stepped in front of the defender and then let a shot rip.  

 

“We’ve faced a lot of adversity through some of our games but not anything like this, going down twice and then coming back,” Manley said. 

 

Manley’s emergence has been a huge spark for the Patriots who have a fierce couple of threats up top between Devon Higginbottom and Madeline St. Amand. 

 

“She’s really coming into her own and being able to take the midfield by storm,” Sherrill said. “She’s got some good pieces around her but thankfully she’s able to capitalize on her opportunities, we’re really thankful for what she’s doing for us.”

 

After at least one brilliant save by Western keeper Elana Romesburg, the squads headed to overtime. Western pressed the issue again early in overtime and drew a corner. Nicole Bilchick sent it in and it pinballed in off of freshman Phebe Ryan to put the Warriors back up 2-1. 

 

“It was just kind of crazy, like 15 bodies were thrown in the corner, I can’t even tell you who scored that,” Mattern said. “It was just kind of all over the place, but that’s how the game was.”

 

With no golden goal, Albemarle had a chance to find the equalizer and they did in the second overtime when an Emily Ward free kick slipped through Western’s keeper’s hands and just died on the ground. 

 

“Emily had a really good ball in and we all kind of jumped for it and then I just saw it on the ground — it was just a toe poke,” Manley said.

 

That toe poke provided Manley’s second equalizer and left the game in a 2-2 deadlock and set the stage for a June 10 rematch exactly 30 days later that seems likely to determine the Jefferson District championship.

 

Or, at the very least, provide these two programs with yet another another major test of toughness. 

 

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