By Allen Kha / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
After starting winless—and goal-less—in its first four games, Monticello’s young team appeared to be headed towards a rebuilding season.
Fast forward to the end of the season after the Mustangs’ 5-0 win Tuesday evening against Liberty in the first round of Region II playoffs, and the young team has the state tournament in Virginia Beach on its minds.
Tuesday evening against the visiting Eagles, Monticello started slowly. Despite most of the game occurring with the Mustangs on the attack, Monticello lacked incisive scoring touch and fluid build-up play.
“We didn’t start with the right amount of energy to start the game, and we’re a team that feeds off of that,” senior midfielder Caroline MacDonald said. “When we score one goal, we’ll get into that groove and score many more goals. But the hardest part is scoring that first goal. Coach [Katie Owens] told us that we needed to pick up the energy in the beginning of the game.”
The Mustangs got their breakthrough in the game’s tenth minute through a penalty corner, when junior midfielder Georgia Proutt scored off a deflection in front of the cage.
Monticello extended its lead to 2-0 ten minutes later on build-up play, when junior attacker Julia Sheehan scored off a deflection from senior midfielder Kaitlyn Bodine.
“We can’t start slowly like we did. We came out tonight and scored, but we can’t afford any letdowns and to not play with passion,” Mustangs coach Katie Owens said.
Monticello extended its lead to 3-0 when Bodine scored off a deflection, and added two goals — one from MacDonald and another from freshman Kathryn Deane — in the game’s final seven minutes to bring the final score to 5-0.
Owens stressed after the match that the Mustangs have a golden opportunity to make the state tournament this year, and compelled her team to seize upon it.
“We’ve been close before, and we’re close this year. It’s another golden opportunity this year to make it to Virginia Beach, and we can do it. It’s going to take performances with high intensity, but we have a young team that wants to reach that goal,” Owens said. “Besides making the state tournament, there’s so much around making States that makes it worthwhile — the huge dinner at my house with my family, the chartered bus that we get to take, getting to go to Virginia Beach to watch and play hockey. It’s worthwhile, and it starts with another win Thursday. We have to put everything behind us going into our next game.”
Monticello travels to Fauquier Thursday in the Region II semi-finals.
