Once again, Western stands on top.
The Warriors powered past an out-of-sync Orange County team Thursday night 2-0 to earn the Jefferson District crown.
A pair of first half goals put Western in control of the contest, with Olivia Hajek knocking in the opening goal 10 minutes into the contest.
“We started out strong—it was nice to get that first goal,” said Western coach Mia Fields. “Orange is a great team and I knew they were never going to stop and we had to play the whole game.”
Midfield play dominated the run of the game as the two squads combined for just one short corner, which led to Madeline Ducharme’s goal that put Western up by two.
Orange appeared out of rhythm from the opening minute, and when Ducharme batted a high ball in on a goal that was at least close to an infraction with 14:40 to play, the Hornets looked deflated.
“It wasn’t the product we usually put on the field,” said Orange coach Tricia Grabeel. “We have some issues that we need to work out — we’re not moving and flowing with the ball. We’re kind of hanging back and being more of a spectator.”
Both defenses played well though, neutralizing threats throughout the match. Western was able to control play for long stretches in the first half, but didn’t create nearly as many scoring chances after the break.
Now the real tests begin for the JD schools. With every team from the district advancing to the regional tournament, there was little on the line but seeding and bragging rights in the Jefferson championships. The regional could be dominated by the JD, and if Monticello and Orange both win in the first round, they could face off for the fourth time this year with a state tournament bid on the line.
The Mustangs fell 2-0 to Charlottesville in the Jefferson consolation game Thursday night.
