By Angela Watts
Managing Content Editor, DigitalSports.com
** Look below the story to find a video player filled with highlights from Friday's Virginia AAA state semifinal, including footage of all five goals scored.History will be on the line Saturday at Westfield when Robinson squares off against Battlefield at 1 p.m. in the Virginia AAA girls' soccer state championship game.
The Rams, who advanced to the title game with a hard-fought, 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Woodbridge in Friday's humid temperatures, are seeking a record-tying fifth championship since the girls' state tournament began in 1984. With a win, Robinson would join fellow Northern Region compatriots Lake Braddock and West Springfield with five state crowns a piece.
"Any time you can win a state tournament it's sweet," said Robinson Coach J
im Rike, who has been at the helm for the Rams for the past 28 seasons. "Only one team a year wins a state championship. And to win a fifth one would be special because that would put us back up with Lake Braddock and West Springfield as the schools that have won the most.
"And it would be kind of ironic if we did because you've got those three schools in that one-and-a-half or two-mile triangle that would have won 15 state championships. That would be great."
Friday's semifinal victory did not come easily, as Robinson fell behind Woodbridge, 2-1, with just :02 seconds remaining in the first half on a goal by junior midfielder
Casey Burdette. Viking junior forward
Shondel Archer seemed to be crossing the ball to senior midfielder
Katie Douez, but when Douez collided by Ram senior
Kristen Smith and fell in front of the goal, Burdette stepped up to fire the go-ahead shot.
The Rams rallied after half time, however, scoring the game-tying goal less than a minute into the second half of play on a header by Smith off a corner kick by sophomore forward/midfielder
Jensen Smith, who netted the game's first goal in the 11th minute. Robinson then took the lead for good on a free kick score by junior midfielder
Annie Hovland in the 55th minute.
"That's one of my favorite shots," said Hovland, who pulled her jersey over her head and took a long breath before curling in the free kick from the left sideline into the far side of the net. "And I know I can get it in, so I just tried to focus and get some power on that to get it in."
Added Rike: "The one thing that people didn't see during the regular-season was that most of the year it was a combination of kids. We had one game where five different kids scored; we had one game where seven different kids scored ... and today Annie stepped up and did it."
With the win, Robinson advances to face Battlefield, a 2-1 winner over Frank W. Cox in the first of Friday's semifinal double-header in Saturday's title game at 1 p.m. at Westfield, where heat indexes are expected to reach nearly 110-degrees.
"We'll do ice bags and ice towels and lots of fluids when they come off and rotate kids in-and-out and try to keep them as fresh as they can," Rike said. "Because, you know, there's nothing after tomorrow. We've gone as far as we can go. So I just told the girls, 'Tomorrow, you just leave it all on the field.' There's no reason to conserve."
Email: awatts@digitalsports.com
Woodbridge 2 0 -- 2
Robinson 1 2 -- 3GOALSJensen Smith, RB, 10:10
Kristen Lybert, WB, 15:01
Casey Burdette, WB, 39:58 (Assisted by Shondel Archer)
Kristin Smith, RB, 40:49 (Assisted by Jensen Smith)
Annie Hovland, RB, 54:34
Shots on Goal: Robinson 8; Woodbridge 3.
Saves: Robinson's Katherine Yount 1; Woodbridge's Heather Harvey 4.
Corner kick: Robinson 6; Woodbridge 2.
