Bristol Is Down, Far From Out
Chantilly Star Roughed Up, but Returns to Set Up Goal in Tie
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, April 2, 2008; E04
Chantilly junior Cortlyn Bristol's first two possessions in last night's 1-1 tie with visiting South County ended with the All-Met lying facedown in the grass after absorbing a body check and a slide tackle from the Stallions'
defense.
That's the kind of aggressive treatment the William & Mary-bound midfielder has earned after scoring 37 goals in her career and five of No. 6 Chantilly's seven goals this season.
"I don't like getting taken down," said Bristol, who left the game in the 23rd minute with a bloody elbow and then was carried off the field in the 29th minute with an injured left ankle and did not return until the second half. "If someone pushes me, I get up and go 150 percent and being taken down twice like that is major."
Six minutes after returning to action, Bristol delivered a 35-yard right-footed offering off a free kick to midfield companion Katie Menzie, who converted the header near the right post for a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute.
The goal helped the Chargers (2-0-2) rebound after No. 3 South County (3-0-1) dominated the first half, as seven Stallions combined for 10 shots, five going on goal. South County also had seven corner kicks in the first half, compared with zero for Chantilly.
South County freshman midfielder Kelley Johnson scored in the 72nd minute to tie the game, which ended after regulation because both coaches agreed not to play the extra periods in order to rest their players for upcoming district games.
"I was nervous because I didn't want to miss it," said Johnson, who corralled teammate Alex Reed's offering and scored on a right-footed shot in full stride.
A Sense of Urgency
The drills at Colonial Forge practice are different this spring.
The good news is that they're shorter. The bad news?
"The drills are a little bit more intense, so each drill might not last as long," Eagles Coach Melissa Backus said.
With a 4-1 victory at Massaponax last night, the No. 10 Eagles (3-0) showed off their renewed focus following last season's 18-3-1 campaign, which ended with a 3-1 loss to Centreville in the first round of the Virginia AAA tournament.
It was the program's first state tournament berth. "I think they weren't ready for that experience, going that far in the playoffs," Backus said.
Now, with four college-bound seniors -- midfielder Sarah Strand (Virginia Military Institute), defender Caitlin Hickey (West Virginia), defender Jordan Zarone (James Madison) and goalkeeper Jamie Alcala (Pfeiffer) -- Colonial Forge is playing with a hunger that is fueled by the looming graduation of its star-studded senior class.
"Everyone is pretty conscious of that fact that our senior class is pretty talented and that, when they go, there are going to be some big shoes to fill," Backus said.
The Eagles already have avenged their loss to Woodbridge in last season's Northwest Region championship game, handing the Vikings a 2-0 defeat in their season opener and following that with a 2-1 victory over North Stafford.
Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, April 2, 2008; E04
Chantilly junior Cortlyn Bristol's first two possessions in last night's 1-1 tie with visiting South County ended with the All-Met lying facedown in the grass after absorbing a body check and a slide tackle from the Stallions'
defense.That's the kind of aggressive treatment the William & Mary-bound midfielder has earned after scoring 37 goals in her career and five of No. 6 Chantilly's seven goals this season.
"I don't like getting taken down," said Bristol, who left the game in the 23rd minute with a bloody elbow and then was carried off the field in the 29th minute with an injured left ankle and did not return until the second half. "If someone pushes me, I get up and go 150 percent and being taken down twice like that is major."
Six minutes after returning to action, Bristol delivered a 35-yard right-footed offering off a free kick to midfield companion Katie Menzie, who converted the header near the right post for a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute.
The goal helped the Chargers (2-0-2) rebound after No. 3 South County (3-0-1) dominated the first half, as seven Stallions combined for 10 shots, five going on goal. South County also had seven corner kicks in the first half, compared with zero for Chantilly.
South County freshman midfielder Kelley Johnson scored in the 72nd minute to tie the game, which ended after regulation because both coaches agreed not to play the extra periods in order to rest their players for upcoming district games.
"I was nervous because I didn't want to miss it," said Johnson, who corralled teammate Alex Reed's offering and scored on a right-footed shot in full stride.
A Sense of Urgency
The drills at Colonial Forge practice are different this spring.
The good news is that they're shorter. The bad news?
"The drills are a little bit more intense, so each drill might not last as long," Eagles Coach Melissa Backus said.
With a 4-1 victory at Massaponax last night, the No. 10 Eagles (3-0) showed off their renewed focus following last season's 18-3-1 campaign, which ended with a 3-1 loss to Centreville in the first round of the Virginia AAA tournament.
It was the program's first state tournament berth. "I think they weren't ready for that experience, going that far in the playoffs," Backus said.
Now, with four college-bound seniors -- midfielder Sarah Strand (Virginia Military Institute), defender Caitlin Hickey (West Virginia), defender Jordan Zarone (James Madison) and goalkeeper Jamie Alcala (Pfeiffer) -- Colonial Forge is playing with a hunger that is fueled by the looming graduation of its star-studded senior class.
"Everyone is pretty conscious of that fact that our senior class is pretty talented and that, when they go, there are going to be some big shoes to fill," Backus said.
The Eagles already have avenged their loss to Woodbridge in last season's Northwest Region championship game, handing the Vikings a 2-0 defeat in their season opener and following that with a 2-1 victory over North Stafford.
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