Leesburg, Va. — After defeating Heritage for the second time this season, Riverside High School was set to host a VHSL 4A State quarterfinal on November 6. The Eastern View High School field hockey team made the 65-mile trip to Leesburg, hoping to bounce back after an overtime loss to Chancellor in the VHSL Region 4D championship. The Cyclones got their wish, defeating the Rams, 2-1, ending Riverside’s historic season.
[adrotate banner=”10″]The game started fast with both Riverside and Eastern View exchanging possessions and each team forcing corners. Riverside senior goalie Charlotte Yacura had to make some diving saves early on to keep the Rams in the game against the powerful Cyclones offense.
The intensity calmed after the first ten minutes, as the game settled in the middle of the field of play. Eastern View and Riverside both traded possessions, and penalties were even on both sides.
However, a breakout play for the Rams led to sophomore forward Gurnoor Dhaliwal scoring a goal with just under two minutes remaining in the first half.
Still, with time left on the clock in the first, Riverside had momentum. However, the Cyclones got a hold of the ball with under a minute to play and forced another corner. This corner proved to be effective as Eastern View senior forward Morgan Tricarico evened the score at 1-1.
“I think the first goal helped us keep up the pace,” Eastern View senior forward Emily Hatfield. “It let us know that we were still in the game.”
The beginning of the second half had the same tempo as the first, with the Cyclones looking slightly more dominant than the Rams while each team continued to force corners.
With about nine minutes left in the second, Eastern View’s intensity and corners once again paid off as Tricarico scored a tip in off a Yacura rebound to put the Cyclones up 2-1.
“We just started talking more,” Tricarico said. “We started pushing ourselves more because we wanted this.”
For the rest of the night, Riverside continued to get good looks and persevered until the end, but Eastern View shut out the Rams in the second half.
With the win, Eastern View advances to play Great Bridge in a VHSL 4A State semifinal on November 9. The loss ends the Rams’ season at 18-2 after advancing to the first state tournament in program history.
“I could not be more proud of this team,” Riverside head coach Amy Oldknow said. “What they have become since 2016 is unreal. They have been able to blend together from other sports, and that is what is spectacular.”
Savannah also captured 50 photos at the game…
Scoring
1H 1:43 RS Gurnoor Dhaliwal
1H 0:20 EV Morgan Tricarico
2H 9:06 EV Morgan Tricarico
