Digital Sports: Girls Soccer 4A Finals: Leonardtown 3, Quince Orchard 1

Emily Gehrig starts the scoring for Leonardtown and the Raiders defense does the rest to win second title in three years.
Published: 11/16/2008
By Ryan Mink
rmink@digitalsports.com

Leonardtown's Emily Gehrig doesn't think it's playing Quince Orchard that brings out the best in her, it's playing in the state championships.

Either way, Gehrig has certainly made her impact felt in Leonardtown's two girls soccer state championships in the past three seasons.

Gehrig scored the Raiders' lone goal in their 4A state finals win two years ago and scored the first goal Saturday night in a 3-1 victory in this year's state championship at UMBC. It just so happens, she said, that both times the goals came against Quince Orchard.

"I guess it's just a coincidence that I scored," Gehrig said.

While Leonardtown's defense has been what's carried the Raiders (17-0-1) all season, Gehrig and the offense's ability to finish its limited opportunities was the difference in the championship game, which capped off the program's first undefeated season.

After a scoreless first half, Leonardtown Coach Jennifer Henderson stressed making the most of offensive chances and staying hungry in front of the goal. Just one minute and four seconds into the half, that's exactly what her players did.

Gehrig found herself open on the right side of the net and one-on-one with the keeper after a well-placed through ball by junior forward Johanna Rambo. Gehrig buried the shot in the top right of the net to start the Raiders' offensive rush.

"It was a perfect pass; I kind of had to finish it," Gehrig said. "It kind of gave us some momentum because I felt we were dominating the second half. We were taking more shots. After I scored, I think everyone started taking shots and everyone on the team has potential to score."

Leonardtown senior midfielder Jessie Schaller scored the Raiders' second goal 12 minutes, 17 seconds later. Schaller, who had just been substituted into the game, scored from a very difficult angle off a deflected shot by Gehrig.

The Raiders notched their final goal just eight minutes and three seconds later when junior midfielder Rachel Lynn came off the bench and blasted a shot into the lower-left side of the net on another assist by Rambo.

When asked what she felt was the difference in the game, Quince Orchard Coach Peg Keiller said, "Penetrating balls and great finishing. We hadn't given up a goal in the playoffs until tonight."

Leonardtown's defense was certainly a huge factor as well as it limited the Cougars (15-3) to just four shots - two in each half. The Raiders posted 15 shutouts this season and had allowed just two goals heading into Saturday's game.

Quince Orchard's Ele Margelos, who scored the game-winning goal against Whitman in the 4A West regional final and the game-sealing penalty kick in a 7-6 penalty kick win over Thomas Johnson in the state semifinals, netted Quince Orchard's lone goal with 3:02 left in the game when her shot bounced off the Leonardtown keepers' hands and over the goal line.

"I always try to get a shutout," senior goalkeeper Dana O'Neill said. "We didn't let it affect us."

The goal certainly didn't mute the sea of blue Thunderstix in the Leonardtown cheering section. There's no way this championship, the third in Coach Henderson's 15 years, wasn't going to be savored.

"I started my sophomore year, my first year, winning states," senior defender Alex Evitts said. "And to come here and win the states and leave winning states I couldn't ask for a better high school career."