Digital Sports: Quince Orchard slides past Thomas Johnson 7-6 in PK's

Whitney and Margelo's combine for Cougars' win

by Amy Russell
arussell@digitalsports.com

(see Digital Sports for great photos to purchase and videos of the game)

After two halves and two overtimes of scoreless, soccer Quince Orchard's varsity girls' soccer team defeated Thomas Johnson, 7-6, in penalty kicks, Saturday night, to advance to the 4A State Finals, where they will face Leonardtown, next Saturday.

The competition was intense, at Richard Montgomery high school, as the game sailed 0-0 through double overtime into a penalty kick shootout. Six players from each team went head to head with the opposing goalie, each earning a point for their team. The turning point came in round seven when Amanda Whitney produced what would be the game-winning save for the Cougars, who prevailed seconds later when junior Ele Margelos sent the ball flying into the back of net, touching off a joyous celebration for Quince Orchard.

"I hate PK's, they're my worst thing," said Margelos, still shaking from the nerves. "But I had to suck it up and try to make it.'

She did.

Whitney identified with Margelos' nervousness.

"We take penalty kicks in practice, but nothing in practice compares," she said.

"We do practice penalty kicks," said head coach Peg Keiller. "We try to replicate the feeling...but nothing can really replicate that kind of pressure."

But the practice paid off, as despite the nerves, the pairs' success during the shootout was enough to take the Cougars back to the state finals for the second time in the last three years.