By Luke Nadkarni / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
William Monroe High School has not been known for its soccer prowess in recent years, but the girls team is quickly putting an end to that assumption.
The third-seeded Dragons took another step toward that end by clobbering visiting Strasburg 5-1 on Monday night in Stanardsville. The win advances the Dragons to the semifinals of the Bull Run District tournament. Rachel DeMasters recorded a hat trick for Monroe, while Elle Hall and Kinsey McInturff added a goal each in the romp.
The Dragons pressured Strasburg goalkeeper Anna Sparacio early and often, setting the tone for the entire game. William Monroe struck first just 12 minutes in with Hall’s goal off of a Strasburg turnover, but the Rams tied it up at the sixteen-minute mark of the first half. It was the first goal Strasburg scored against Monroe in three meetings this season.
“You can’t take anyone for granted,” Monroe coach John Burks said. “[Strasburg] had more seniors here tonight, they were playing for the upset.”
The Dragons quickly regained the lead less than four minutes later as DeMasters tallied the first of her three goals of the evening. The Dragons took that 2-1 advantage into halftime.
Monroe, which had beaten Strasburg 4-0 and 8-0 in two regular season meetings, continued to generate most of the offensive chances in the second half. They did not extend their lead, however, until DeMasters’ second goal with 23:18 showing on the clock. DeMasters was not done, scoring another a few minutes later to complete the hat trick, all but dashing Strasburg’s dreams of an upset.
“A game at 2-1 could turn around just like that,” DeMasters said. “I feel like I as well as the team stepped it up and started working better as a team.”
For good measure, McInturff socked in a goal for the final margin with just less than five minutes remaining.
The Dragons will return to the field on Wednesday, when they meet second-seeded Clarke County on a neutral field at George Mason High School in the Bull Run semifinals.
