Leesburg, Va. — In what most were calling the Game of the Year, Heritage traveled across town to Riverside High School for a clash of the titans on October 9 in Leesburg. The game was very fast paced as both teams highlighted their athleticism. However, after a fast start, the scoring slowed down in the second half as Riverside reigned victorious, defeating the Pride, 4-1, and taking sole possession of first place in the Dulles District.
“This win was so big for us,” Riverside junior midfielder Amelie Fieser said. “Coming back from a loss last night, this really boosts our confidence for the future.”
[adrotate banner=”10″]The hype around this game was huge. So when the first whistle finally blew, Riverside was quickly out on a mission. Led by sophomore midfielder Kellen Richbourg, sophomore forward Gurnoor Dhaliwal and Fieser, the Rams quickly got upfield and began to pressure the Pride. The Pride’s defense stood strong from the initial push, with a few crucial saves by Heritage senior goalie Gabi Gray.
However, the Rams forced a corner about seven minutes in that led to a Riverside stroke – akin to a penalty shot in ice hockey.
Dhaliwal took the stroke for Riverside and scored the first goal of the game at 23:02.
The Pride, however, did not go away easy. Heritage senior midfielder Josie Rossbach led the Pride’s rebound upfield in a hurry, and Heritage did not disappoint. About two minutes after the Dhaliwal goal, freshman forward Renee Schmidt put the Pride on the board.
Riverside did not back down from the sudden change in score. The Rams continued to press, forcing two more corners and seven shots on goal, two of which found the back of the net before the first half came to a close.
“We made really good passes and stuck together really well,” Riverside sophomore midfielder Eva Yacura said. “We really wanted this, and I think that we put that effort in.”
Yacura’s hard work came to fruition when she added to the Rams’ lead just two minutes into the second half.
Heritage continued to put up shots and pressure the Riverside defense, but in the end, couldn’t mount a comeback.
“This win will just give us that confidence we need,” Richbourg said. “We know what works and what doesn’t, so this game will help us in the playoffs.”
Savannah Reger captured more than 80 photos at the game…
Scoring
1H 23:02 RS Gurnoor Dhaliwal
1H 21:39 H Renee Schmidt
1H 15:52 RS Lydia Oldknow
1H 13:39 RS Gurnoor Dhaliwal
2H 27:59 RS Eva Yacura
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