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Age no problem: Monroe girls soccer inches closer to state bid

Photo: Brian Mellott

Facing Skyline for the third time this year, the William Monroe girls soccer team put together their best showing against the visiting Hawks in the Region 3B quarterfinals with a 7-0 drubbing that saw the Dragons take control in the first half with three goals in a six minute spurt. 

 

“We kind of  found a rhythm,” said Monroe coach Jeremy Lamm. “They always start tough against us, apply a lot of pressure. The girls kind of take a minute to settle and in adjust to the physicality and once they find a rhythm, I moved Olivia Binggeli to the back because it kind of seemed like we were turning it over too much. So when we move her to right spot we got it going because she was seeing the field more and started creating more chances.”

 

The Dragons, who have turned over their roster to a youth movement this year, picked up their first goal of the night with junior Layla Morris striking off a pass from freshman Sydney Dombrovskis with 22:16 to play. Then just two minutes on a perfect kick just outside of the box, freshman Hannah McInturff bent a shot in top shelf to make it 2-0. Three minutes after that it was Dombrovskis with the first of three goals for her when she touched in a pass from junior Anna Baker with 16:29 left in the first.

 

“It was just basic teamwork and communication,” Baker said. “Being (in the playoffs) it’s a bit more stressful but I think tonight it helped us to play better.”

 

Baker put in one of her own with four seconds remaining off a free kick and the Dragons went into the break up 4-0.

 

Monroe didn’t let up in the second. Dombrovskis picked up her second goal right out of the break and then with 25:13 remaining she finished off a pass from freshman Elise Davis to pick up the hat trick.

 

“We played really well the last time we played them and we’ve really been a team that’s improving,” Dombrovskis said. “That’s going to help us in the future. We connected tonight and made the passes and that’s what made the goals happen tonight.”

 

With 36 seconds left in the game the Dragons got one last goal from Molly Earle to wrap up the scoring at 7-0.

 

“We had three new scorers tonight so that was really nice,” Lamm said.

 

Monroe will travel to face Spotsylvania on Tuesday in the Region 3B semifinals. And for a team that’s loaded with underclassmen, the opportunity to play for a state bid is thrilling.

 

“We’re not worrying about age and letting it come in between us,” Dombrovskis said. “We’re using it as motivation and a way to come together as a team.”

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