Girls Soccer: Bethesda-Chevy Chase 1, Hereford 0

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By Andy States
Content Manager, SMAC

WALDORF -- With her team generating many scoring chances, all of which were coming up empty, Bethesda-Chevy Chase sophomore Alex Doll figured it was time that she did her part to make things a little less dramatic in the Baron's 3A semifinal against the Hereford Bulls on Saturday night at North Point High.

"We had so many chances. I missed a breakaway earlier," Doll said. "That really pushed me. I wanted to get one and knew I had to get one after that. I couldn't let everyone down."

Doll finally converted one of the Barons' many opportunities with less than five minutes remaining in the first half. Her goal stood up as Bethesda-Chevy Chase, which has only allowed five goals on the season, produced its 13th shutout of the year in the 1-0 win over Hereford. The Barons advance to the 3A championship game against Fallston.

"It was a great game tonight," said Bethesda-Chevy Chase coach Rob Kurtz. "Hereford really did a great job, I thought, played hard. A couple of those chances could have gone in early and made it a much different game."

With the win, Bethesda-Chevy Chase (16-0), which won state championships in 2001 and 2004, advances back to the state championship game for the first time since 2006.

"It's another couple days of practice with my seniors who are graduating and that's really all we want," Kurtz said.

After a few Hereford (11-4-1) opportunites in the early going, the Barons dominated play through the duration of the first half. But time and again, until Doll's tally late, the Barons came away with nothing.

"I don't think they ever get down," Kurtz said of his team and its stuggle to find the net early. "I think there was a little bit of frustration."

But when Doll converted off the cross from Hannah Richardson, that frustration lifted. Having allowed just five goals on the season, and those coming in three games, putting the first goal up on the scoreboard allowed the Barons to feel confident that the lead would hold up through the second half. But the semifinal marked the first time all season that the Barons have scored less than two goals.

"Usually after two or three, I wouldn't say one," Kurtz said of his level of confidence when his team scores. "But we committed four defenders to say one is enough, but we didn't want one. Two goals is a much different game."

Though Hereford's season came to an end, Coach Nancy Ferguson was pleased with the effort the team gave throughout the semifinal. The Bulls enjoyed a season which featured a pair of wins over perennially-strong Catonsville, including a win in the regional semifinals.

"I'm just so proud," Ferguson said. "They're 23 girls that have enormous heart and desire. Certainly our skill level is not at the level of B-CC, but you keep preaching to them that you play hard and you make things happen on the field and that's what they did."

The Barons move on with the chance to finish a perfect campaign in the coming week's championship game against Fallston, which itself is unbeaten after a penalty-kick win over Northern in Saturday night's other semifinal.

"I'm just happy to get a victory, get a shutout," Kurtz said, "and to get a chance to win a state title next week sometime."