St. Catherine’s and Collegiate faced off for the fourth time this season in the VISAA girls soccer semifinals on Friday at Ukrop Park. The result would be a milestone in both program’s histories.
Virginia Jesselson and Addie Wright scored for the Saints, who added an own goal from Collegiate, to defeat the Cougars 3-1 and advance to their first ever VISAA state championship match.
“Obviously, it’s an exciting win for us,” Saints coach Laurie Marshalek said. “Our girls are ready. We set this as a goal from day one and they haven’t back down from that goal for one second.”
For Collegiate, the game marks the start of coach Bill Rider’s retirement, after 21 years at the helm.
“They have a real quality side,” he said when he came over to speak with Marshalek after the game. “We’re going to miss playing this guy every year,” she said.
St. Catherine’s came out in the first half with heavy pressure on Collegiate’s defense, finding the scoreboard in the 22nd minute when Jesselson beat Cougars keeper Caroline Failon, her 28th goal of the season.
“She’s a true forward,” Marshalek said of Jesselson’s play. “She knows when to dig deep and go all out and when to conserve her energy.”
Collegiate responded two game minutes later when Eleanor McGee dribbled up the wing and sent a pass into the goal mouth. Two Cougars were there and Ann-Robert Goode was the one to put it past Saints goalie Jane McGehee.
Wright scored with 28 minutes remaining, firing one from beyond the box, tipping off Failon’s fingers and off the underside of the crossbar, landing past the goal line.
Wright’s teammate Erin Menges headed the rebound into the goal, but Wright was credited with the point.
“Well, I didn’t think it was my goal,” she said. “I thought it was Erin’s. Someone said it hit the net before she hit it. It was lucky it went in.”
Collegiate had a few chances in the final 28 minutes, but failed to find the tying goal. St. Catherine’s continued on the offensive, with the own goal coming after a ricochet off Collegiate’s Casey Brizzolara and into the net.
The Saints have scored 101 goals and allowed just 15 this season.
“The nice thing about this season is that we have 17 girls on the team and have had 17 goal scorers,” Marshalek said. “Every single girl on this team has contributed.”
St. Catherine’s will face Cape Henry Collegiate today at 6 p.m. in the Division 1 final at Ukrop Park.
Wright said that the significance of the first state title appearance for the Saints isn’t lost on them.
“It means a lot,” she said. “Our hearts are in it for our coaches and our seniors.”
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