PHILIPPI -
In soccer, one goal is all it takes. One goal is all the Alderson-Broaddus women's soccer team needed to win its first WVIAC soccer championship in program history. The Lady Battlers beat conference rival Davis & Elkins 1-0.
A-B came into the championship game looking for redemption. The Battlers lost 1-0 to Wesleyan, in overtime, in the 2010 tournament championship game. A-B's revenge couldn't come over the Bobcats. That's because No. 4 seeded D&E beat WVWC 2-0 in the semifinals. The Lady Senators were looking to prove that beating the top seeded team wasn't a fluke. Neither team truly cared who they were facing; both just wanted the championship plaque.
Things started quickly for the Battlers. At the 3:09 mark of the first half, Amber Kling set up Olivia Augustine near the goal. The ball bounced off a D&E player's head and the Senators' goalie came out from the goal to go for the ball. Augustine got to it first, kicking her foot around a defender, sending the ball over the goalie's head. It bounced into an empty net and just like that, Alderson-Broaddus took a 1-0 lead.
Ironically, after the early goal, Davis & Elkins controlled the ball for the majority of the first half. The Senators took eight shots compared to just three for A-B.
The second half was much more exciting. Both goal keepers recorded amazing saves but the tides turned. A-B Head Coach Patrick McGinnis' half time speech must have worked as the Lady Battlers had possession of the ball for most of the last half of the game. A-B had 11 shots to D&E's three. In an extremely physical and hard fought game, the Alderson-Broaddus Lady Battlers held on for a 1-0 win, with that game winning goal coming in the first few minutes of the contest.
This victory marks the first time that any Alderson-Broaddus women's soccer team has won a WVIAC Championship. Coach McGinnis said reaching this point was not easy.
"Who would have thought? It makes for a long day as they say. We didn't play very well in the first half. We probably should have put it away in the second half. We hit the crossbar, had one cleared off the line, off the post. Just couldn't get that second one to make it easy for them. But with these girls, four years, they've never made anything east for me, so why would this be any different?"
Olivia Augustine led A-B with six shots, five on goal, including the lone goal. Augustine said she saw the opportunity, and took it.
"I noticed the goalie was out of the box a little bit and I took advantage of that. I pushed my way through the defense and I saw it come right in front of me so I just popped it in over her. It was amazing."
Taylor Bryant recorded three shots for the Lady Battlers, one on goal. Amber Kling had two shots and an assist from the game-winning goal. Sarah Holmes, Chelsea Gilliam and Nicole Lehman each recorded one shot. A-B shot 14 time total, eight on goal. Battlers' goal keeper Kate Laird had five saves.
Cole Dant led D&E with four shots, two on goal. Breanna Eskew shot twice, both times at the net. Allison Dant, Alexa McCartney, Cate Smith, Jael Fedora and Luci Legaspi took one shot each. The Senators totaled 11 shots, five on goal. Keeper Ashley Winkelspecht had seven saves.
With the win, Alderson-Broaddus earns and automatic bid into the NCAA Division II tournament. The Lady Battlers find out Monday, who their opponent is and where the first round game will be played.
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