Battlefield comes through in second half
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By DAN ANGELL
For the News & Messenger
Published: May 21, 2008
“We really wanted it,’ she said. “We haven’t been doing as well as we did earlier in the season. We wanted to come in, step it up and play our game.”
On the other sideline, staring at a 1-1 score, Battlefield coach Kevin Hilton was questioning his team’s memory.
“For some reason, the girls came out a little bit nervous,” he said. “We just had to remind them that they’re a really good team. They’re a great team, and they weren’t playing like it in that half. We just challenged them at halftime to pick up the pace and pick up the effort.”
The Bobcats responded. Battlefield’s Sahar Aflaki and Jessye Jewell each solved the Eagles’ de-fense in the second half for a 3-1 win and a place in the district finals against Osbourn Park, a win-ner over Loudoun Valley in the other semifinal. The title game will be played Thursday at 7 p.m. in Warrenton.
Hilton said he wasn’t surprised that the Eagles tested his team, citing a previous 2-1 win over Osbourn and the overall strength of the Cedar Run District.
“They’re a very talented team,” he said. “The top four, even top five teams in this district were pretty solid this year.”
Kranich echoed Hilton’s point, claiming that regional qualifiers from other districts have strug-gled against Cedar Run teams that will not advance past district play.
“When you go down to the Western Valley District, E.C. Glass is No. 1 down there, but we beat them in their tournament,” she said. “I think our top four teams are stronger than some second-place teams in other districts.”
Although the district tournament technically means nothing for Battlefield because it is already guaranteed to host a regional quarterfinal, Jewell said the Bobcats badly want to sweep the district.
“We have never (won) the district and the district tournament,” she said. “Those were our two goals as a team this year. Even though it wasn’t going to be our end, we really played like it was going to be. We really want to make it to finals and win this.”
• OSBOURN PARK 2, LOUDOUN VALLEY 0: A pair of goals early in the first half were enough of a cushion for third-seeded Osbourn Park against second seed Loudoun Valley. The Yel-low Jackets took the two-goal lead just 13 minutes in, and the defense made the lead stand, leaving OP to celebrate the win over the Vikings and the trip to the regional tournament on the field with its fans.
“That’s the best effort that we’ve given as a team all year,” OP coach Rob Watters said. “The tim-ing was good for them, they stayed positive all week. I’m proud of them.”
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