With less than 10 minutes left in the match, Charlottesville boys soccer held a commanding three goal lead. For all intents and purposes, the game was over. If you asked any of the players on Charlottesville or Albemarle, though, they’d say the score was irrelevant. The intensity of this matchup between cross-town rivals was certainly living up to expectations even if the score wasn’t.
A Charlottesville foul, which was energetically protested by the Black Knights bench, led to an Albemarle penalty kick to get the Patriots on the board late in the contest. Charlottesville senior Malcolm Brickhouse responded immediately by shooting from midfield off the kickoff over the head of Albemarle goalkeeper to rebuild the Charlottesville lead back to three. Even with the outcome of the game essentially determined, both teams brought tremendous energy from start to finish, with the Black Knights getting the best of the Patriots in a 4-1 victory at Albemarle on Thursday night.
Charlottesville set the tone early, playing aggressively to keep the ball on Albemarle’s end of the field and getting several chances early. Albemarle was rarely able to get the ball across midfield without Charlottesville taking possession.
“We have a great midfield,” said Charlottesville head coach Martin Braun. “It gives us a great chance because when we have the ball, other teams can’t really attack us.”
Fifteen minutes into the match, the Black Knights drew first blood when Albemarle goalie Trevor Driskill misplayed the ball in his own box and Malcolm Brickhouse stole it and dribbled it into the wide open goal for the first goal of the game.
It would take just four minutes for Charlottesville to get their second tally of the game. Noah Boswinkel put a shot on goal that Driskill saved, but senior Thomas Vik was there to send the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-0 Black Knights.
“Overall, I thought we played a great game,” Braun said after the match. “Kind of got a little emotional. You know when you play a rival, those things happen. And it kind of seemed like the game was closer than it actually was.”
In the second half, Charlottesville continued to control possession and limited Albemarle to just a few opportunities on the offensive end. Lucas Fuller saved a goal with a slide tackle right on the edge of the box during a two-on-one Albemarle fastbreak a few minutes into the second half to keep it 2-0.
Thomas Vik scored again on a rocket of a free kick from just outside the box that Driskill got a glove on but could not prevent from hitting the back of the net.
With the game well in hand, both teams continued to fight. The Patriots refused to roll over and accept defeat, while the Black Knights were determined to keep Albemarle scoreless. The game was very physical and became chippy at times as both teams worked the referees almost as much as they worked the ball.
Albemarle got the ball into the right corner of the Charlottesville box before Noah Boswinkel made a play on the ball from behind and sent it out of bounds. The officials conferred for a moment before calling a foul on Boswinkel and awarding Albemarle a penalty kick.
Albemarle junior Benjamin Mackey converted the penalty to get the Patriots on the board and within two goals with just over ten minutes to play.
Then came the play of the game. Brickhouse took the ball off the kickoff and sent it deep towards the Albemarle goal, where Driskill had been positioned up at the front of the box, not expecting a shot so quickly. Driskill backpedalled and attempted to make the save but the ball went over his head and in the goal.
“They had just scored and we could kind of feel the game getting a little bit closer,” Brickhouse said. “And I saw that the keeper was out ten or fifteen yards. I’ve never done that before but I just decided to go for it and it worked.”
Just like that, the Charlottesville lead was back to three and any hopes for an Albemarle comeback were crushed.
Senior leaders Brickhouse and Vik led the Black Knights with two goals apiece.
“They played well,” Braun said of Brickhouse and Vik. “They’re the leaders on our team. Thomas’ free kick was great. Malcolm’s kick from half field was amazing. Hopefully someone got that on tape. You need special plays when you play good teams.”
With the win, Charlottesville improves to 3-0 and will host Western Albemarle next Thursday, while Albemarle will also host Western Albemarle on Monday.
