Leesburg, Va. — Playoff soccer in Loudoun County can lead to unexpected outcomes. The Stone Bridge High School boys soccer team came into the May 22 showdown in Leesburg against Riverside with towering expectations. The Bulldogs lost both games to the Rams in the regular season by a combined score of 5-0.
This time, Stone Bridge’s defense came to play, as they stopped Riverside from scoring in regular time plus 20 minutes of overtime. The Bulldogs capitalized on their chance by winning 5-3 in penalty kicks in their Potomac District tournament semifinal on May 22 in Leesburg.
“We needed to keep it a close game as long as we could, and the boys stepped up to the challenge,” Stone Bridge head coach Muoka Musau said. “We wanted to do the simple things really well. We wanted to make sure that we limited the mistakes in the back, and then up front, we had to make sure we protected the ball.”
Stone Bridge sophomore defender Jack Harrison scored the winning penalty kick, sliding the ball into the back of the net as his teammates mobbed him after the score. Stone Bridge senior goalkeeper Amir Chair and sophomore goalkeeper Lambert Venema kept the Rams off the scoreboard. The pair combined to stop Riverside’s six shots on goal, and Venema made a big save on the first attempt in penalty kicks for the Rams.
“We completely parked the bus,” Venema said. “My defenders carried me, especially the second half performance was amazing. I felt very safe. I remember thinking of Riverside as a completely undefeatable opponent, so I cannot believe it. I’m ecstatic.”
Riverside started the game strong by putting pressure on the Stone Bridge defense. In the first three minutes, Riverside senior attacker Mateo Rodriguez sailed a shot high after a cross in the box. A couple of minutes later, Riverside senior midfielder Andres Lopez had a chance, but the ball reached Chair’s hands.
The Rams got another flurry of chances throughout the middle of the first half. Shots by Rodriguez, senior defender Evan Lazzari, and senior midfielder Alejandro Argueta ended up high or wide.
Finally, Stone Bridge got their first shot with about 15 minutes left in the first half. A foul on Riverside led to a free kick that floated into the box, and Stone Bridge senior midfielder Andre Ortuno connected with the ball, which Riverside senior goalkeeper Cameron Farrell saved. Riverside quickly counterattacked after a long goal kick as Rodriguez put a shot on goal, but Chair safely stopped the chance.
“I think a big strength of our team has been our defense,” Musau said. “At times, our aggression has gotten the best of us, where you think you’re going to win a ball, but end up giving away a bad foul.”
Both teams had more chances before the first half ended, but neither would turn into goals. The game went into halftime tied 0-0.
Riverside opened the second half by quickly getting corners, but the Stone Bridge defense moved the ball out of danger. The Bulldogs counterattacked the Rams to create chances, but none turned into high-quality shots.
“I think the maturity of our team showed tonight when we were able to defend like crazy for a long, long time,” Musau said. “I think any team can be great going forward, it’s how hard can you work defensively against a team like Riverside that moves the ball really well.”
The pace of the game slowed down in the second half, with both teams defending well in their own final third. Riverside got a burst of shots with less than five minutes remaining in the second half, but all of the Rams’ shots ended up wide or high of the net.
With the game still tied 0-0 at the end of regular time, both teams tried to find the energy to play another 10 minutes. Stone Bridge received a break after a late challenge by Argueta got him booked with a yellow card. The Bulldogs didn’t have enough time at the end of the first overtime period to capitalize on the free kick opportunity.
The second overtime had much of the same action as the rest of the game. Both goalkeepers made desperate saves that stopped any offensive momentum, sending the game into penalty kicks.
Stone Bridge opened up penalties with senior midfielder Bryan Mendez slotting the ball into the left corner. Venema responded by picking the right direction and getting a hand on the ball to save Riverside’s first penalty attempt. The Bulldogs and Rams made the rest of their kicks, but the fifth goal by Harrison ended the game in Stone Bridge’s favor.
“I didn’t really feel the nerves [during penalty kicks],” Venema said. “I’ve been in that position quite a few times before, and I’ve helped my team there too.”
With the win, Stone Bridge (4-5-1, 10-5-2) advances to the Potomac District tournament championship against Lightridge on May 27 in Aldie. Riverside (9-0-1, 15-1-1) had already secured their berth to the VHSL Region 5D tournament, having won the Potomac District regular season.
“Lightridge gave us a hard game last time, and that was an aberration on our part,” Musau said. “We had a few missing players, and I think the game on Tuesday is going to be a lot different than what it was last time. I think that we’re going to be a really tough team to beat.”