Wildcats Still Undefeated After Scare From Herndon

Centreville found itself in a rare and precarious position Thursday night at Herndon High School. The Hornets were out for blood and struck first to lead the Wildcats early in the first half and looked as if they might scar Centreville’s unblemished record.

After a hard fought first half tied at one goal apiece, sophomore sensation Alex Myers helped shift her team into high gear with a goal and an assist in the second half to finish off Herndon, 3-1.

Tied at one apiece in the second half, Myers charged down the left sideline, dribbling thirty yards. She then juked a Hornet defender near the corner and hammered a 15-yard banana kick from a 30-degree angle inside the near post for the winning score with 16:29 remaining. 

“Honestly, I have no idea what I did on that,” Myers said. “They were still sorting out their marks and I just tried to play it quick and went for it and it went in the goal.”

Senior Mari Marotta, from a Myers' assist, would head the ball in for another Wildcat score nine minutes later to seal the victory for Centreville.

The Hornets opened the game on fire when Kaitlyn Law stunned the Wildcats as she put Herndon on the scoreboard first with a ten-yard laser beam inside the far post with 32:44 still left in the first.

Several Wildcats looked bewildered, as they had given up just three goals through seven games. Herndon had scored on them within eight minutes and now led 1-0.

“They came out harder than I thought they would and I don’t think we came out like our best,” Myers said.

The Hornet defensive scheme worked for the first 20 plus minutes and made it difficult for Centreville to penetrate the 18-yard-box.

However, the Wildcats took a corner kick and tied the game off a Lindsay Egbers goal with 15:57 left in the opening half. But controversy erupted on the Herndon sideline. Hornets’ head coach Nick Stames said the referee made three mistakes on the play.

“[The Ref] called a corner but the ball was out for a throw-in. [Centreville] put it down to play the corner and he had his back to the ball, then the ball went 10 yards,” Stames said. “He blew the whistle and our girls stopped and [Centreville] played. He clearly blew the whistle after the ball was put into play and if the whistle is blown while the ball is in play, you have got to replay the ball.”

Stames’ argument failed to persuade the referee and the game remained tied at one apiece.

“[The goal] was huge and kept us in the game, kept us fighting,” Egbers said. “Since we are undefeated it gets even harder. We came in a little too cocky but now this definitely straightened us out and we are ready to take the state championship.”

The match took on a more physical and gritty attitude in the second half. Herndon had a few quality shots on goal but Taylor Avery performed brilliantly in the net for Centreville and made two or three circus-like saves. Meanwhile, Egbers, Ashley Forbes and Clara Logsdon tackled strong against the Hornets, but most importantly led their forwards with well-timed outlet passes up field.

Though his players seemed surprised at Herndon’s attack, Wildcat head coach Gary Malebranche said he expected that type of performance from the Hornets.

“[Herndon] didn’t surprise me. I think they are an athletic group and they competed hard,” he said. “I was impressed with their performance in the first half and we had to adjust.”

The coach added that his team should be able to stay focused with the pressure of staying undefeated.

“It’s a matter of staying focused and making sure they understand each individual game is its own task.” He said. “If we do that, we should be OK. But if we don’t come with that focus, any team can be beat.”

Centreville plays at T.C. Williams on April 11 at 5 p.m.