By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
PALMYRA — Twice in the regular season the Fluvanna County and Charlottesville boys soccer teams battled evenly, with each picking up a win.
On Wednesday, the two schools met in the Conference 23 tournament semifinals, and the rivalry once again lived up to expectations.
The Black Knights, using a stingy defense led by goalkeeper Carter Kitchin, dispatched the Flucos 2-1 to advance to the conference championship on Thursday at 8 p.m.
“We had so many chances and it would have been a crying shame to go to overtime or PK’s and put it in the other team’s hands or random hands as to who wins the game,” Charlottesville coach Stephan Cost said. “It was nice it was settled on the field in regular time.”
Senior Mica Girstantas provided the late-game heroics for the visitors, punching it in from close range with under five minutes remaining. The multi-talented forward, who also plays basketball for the Black Knights, had missed two previous open shots.
“The ball was ricocheting off four or five people and the goalie made some great saves,” Girstantas said. “Thomas [Birle] got a head in and I was able to knock it in.”
The matchup showcased a pair of stellar goalkeepers in Kitchin, a freshman, and Fluvanna’s Nikolai Jackson.
Charlottesville (10-4-3) hadn’t allowed a goal in five straight games. In fact, it was Fluvanna who handed the Black Knights their only loss this month, in a 2-1 victory on Charlottesville’s home field.
CHS scored early when Theo Heard took a nice cross from Birle and slid it past Jackson.
After failing to convert on a couple of corner kick opportunities, the Flucos tied it with 24:18 to play, as the speedy Jameel Wilson made his way past defenders and delivered on a beautiful shot.
Jackson, a junior, came up with several big stops for the Flucos before the Black Knights finally got the edge.
“It’s been back and forth all season long,” Fluvanna coach Earl Gibson said. “We just didn’t finish as many times as they did and that’s the name of the game.”
Charlottesville will play host to Harrisonburg in the title match. The teams played to a 1-1 tie in their only meeting this season.
By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
PALMYRA — Twice in the regular season the Fluvanna County and Charlottesville boys soccer teams battled evenly, with each picking up a win.
On Wednesday, the two schools met in the Conference 23 tournament semifinals, and the rivalry once again lived up to expectations.
The Black Knights, using a stingy defense led by goalkeeper Carter Kitchin, dispatched the Flucos 2-1 to advance to the conference championship on Thursday at 8 p.m.
“We had so many chances and it would have been a crying shame to go to overtime or PK’s and put it in the other team’s hands or random hands as to who wins the game,” Charlottesville coach Stephan Cost said. “It was nice it was settled on the field in regular time.”
Senior Mica Girstantas provided the late-game heroics for the visitors, punching it in from close range with under five minutes remaining. The multi-talented forward, who also plays basketball for the Black Knights, had missed two previous open shots.
“The ball was ricocheting off four or five people and the goalie made some great saves,” Girstantas said. “Thomas [Birle] got a head in and I was able to knock it in.”
The matchup showcased a pair of stellar goalkeepers in Kitchin, a freshman, and Fluvanna’s Nikolai Jackson.
Charlottesville (10-4-3) hadn’t allowed a goal in five straight games. In fact, it was Fluvanna who handed the Black Knights their only loss this month, in a 2-1 victory on Charlottesville’s home field.
CHS scored early when Theo Heard took a nice cross from Birle and slid it past Jackson.
After failing to convert on a couple of corner kick opportunities, the Flucos tied it with 24:18 to play, as the speedy Jameel Wilson made his way past defenders and delivered on a beautiful shot.
Jackson, a junior, came up with several big stops for the Flucos before the Black Knights finally got the edge.
“It’s been back and forth all season long,” Fluvanna coach Earl Gibson said. “We just didn’t finish as many times as they did and that’s the name of the game.”
Charlottesville will play host to Harrisonburg in the title match. The teams played to a 1-1 tie in their only meeting this season.
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