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BOX SCORE

Doug Ripley - June 7, 2009

CHANTILLY – When the Frank W. Cox High School boys soccer program won its first state championship, the members of the 2009 squad weren’t even born yet.

Ross Johnson, Jason Shedlock, Jon Forget, Todd Whalen, and the rest of the 1990 State Championship team will now have much younger company on their banner hanging inside Holland Gym at Cox.

The unforgettable first season for head coach Scott Mead climaxed Sunday afternoon with a Virginia High School League Group AAA Boys Soccer Championship, as his Falcons defeated Mills Godwin 2-1 in an overtime thriller in Northern Virginia.  Neil Harrison provided the Championship-winning goal in the 83rd minute off the Falcons’ lone corner kick of the afternoon from Chris Whiteside.

Cox (21-2-1) ended its 2009 campaign with a single season school record for wins, a Beach District Regular Season Championship, an Eastern Region title, and now can be forever known as State Champions.

The 2009 finale will be remembered around the Commonwealth as more than just Cox winning the title, that it went to overtime, or that it was a rare Sunday game in Virginia.  Cox’s roller coaster journey in taking the trophy is one that Hollywood writers couldn’t even script.

The Falcons, winners of their last five entering the final, picked up where they left off a night ago against Westfield, out-firing Godwin (18-3-2) by a 4-1 margin in the opening 15 minutes while maintaining pressure on the Eagle defense.  After all, Cox had the psychological edge on its side, having beaten Godwin 3-1 in Virginia Beach on March 20.

Hunter Byrnes scored a cleaner replica of his match winner against Westfield the night before, which also came in the 14th minute.  This time, it was Ryan Oakes with the sharp left side cross and Byrnes with the emphatic finish before Godwin keeper Jack Van Arsdale could adjust.

But the positive momentum from Cox’s early goal would flat-line nine minutes later.  Defender Chris Albiston was ejected for retaliation shortly after Godwin striker Valeriy Sviderskiy had created a traffic jam after sliding into Falcon keeper Jon Harris.

From that point, Godwin was on the offensive while Cox spent much of the remaining 17:01 in the half trying to hang on long enough to figuratively stop the bleeding from being a man down without its outside left defender.

The Falcons would need to expedite the search for that figurative tourniquet four minutes after the Albiston ejection.  Godwin midfielder Matt Bley found an open Sviderskiy on the right wing who two-touched the nine-yarder past Harris for the equalizer.

The Eagles had taken the last four shots in a ten minute span once they gained a man advantage and had the Falcons on the ropes, looking to get that pivotal go-ahead goal.

The Falcons managed to settle down a bit in the half’s closing minutes as Eric Bird got a look inside the box but had his shot blocked, and Will Martin found himself past the Godwin back line but his strike banged off the right post.

On defense, Cox hung tough with a pair of saves from Harris and numerous acrobatic clearances from a back line that included Oakes for the rest of the afternoon.

Things only got more difficult for the Falcons in a rough second half that featured numerous stoppages from bookings and injuries in a fierce duel between a team looking to put away the opposition, and the other trying to survive despite the disadvantage.

Still, despite a 10-3 shot disadvantage in the second frame, the Falcons had their moments of controlling possession and creating opportunities, but those where sometimes met with quick counters from the Eagle attack.

While Godwin found itself deep in Cox’s defensive third at numerous times, too many of the ensuing attempts sprayed outside the goal frame.  

However, the Eagles nearly escaped with the title in the 80th minute when Harvey found himself nearly alone on left side of the six-yard box. 

After taking a diagonal pass from the right side of midfield, Harvey's shot deflected from a Cox defender back to his feet on the left side of the six yard box. 

With Harris on the ground and out of position, the near post was open, but as Harvey unleashed his second shot, along came Oakes who, two yards in front of the goal, pushed the ball out of danger.

The Falcons survived regulation tied with the Eagles, and a new game awaited the two state finalists with the mandatory two five minute extra periods.

Harrison had had an up and down match himself, from coming up with big stops on the defensive end to having to come out of the match after taking a blow to the head on an exchange with a Godwin player, and returning to the match a minute later.

His ultimate high point then came in that first overtime. 

Whiteside curled a right footed ball from the left corner flag to the far post.  Harrison rose and headed the ball toward the center of the net with just enough pace to deny Van Arsdale an opportunity to clear the ball wide. 

The Godwin keeper booted the ball into the net after it crossed the line, and the Falcons were back in the lead.  For Harrison, the defender’s second goal of the season turned out to be his second against the Eagles which also, ironically, was a match winner.

Cox spent the remainder of the period holding off the Godwin response.  The Eagles nearly tied it back up two minutes after the go-ahead after a Cox foul near the top right portion of the box set up a free kick.

The ball was directed toward the left side of the six where Russell Boatwright stood ready to head the ball inside what was an open far-left post. 

Out of nowhere appeared a stretched Harris who poked the ball out of the goal mouth for the save of the championship, and the Falcons were out of danger for a moment after Harvey committed a foul on the follow from the left side.

Things didn’t get any easier for Cox in the second overtime as the Eagles threw everything they had at them, trying to come up with a goal. 

Cox managed to survive plenty of pressure from the opposition that included three Godwin corners in just over a minute, a blocked shot from Daniel Flanary, and a 90th minute ball from Harvey that Harris collected for his sixth and final save of the afternoon.

The Falcons, despite getting out-shot 23-12 and playing down a man for 67 minutes, came together frantically in celebration after the long-awaited final whistle once they cleared a Godwin long throw from the right corner.

Van Arsdale, who has committed to play soccer at VCU in the fall, ended his high school career with one save for the Eagles.  Godwin, the Central Region runners-up, made their first appearance in the state championship match since rolling to an undefeated title in 2003.

With the win, the Falcons become the sixth Eastern Region boys soccer team to win a state title and the first since Kempsville in 1997.