Monacan girls soccer falls to Great Bridge in state tourney

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Monacan girls soccer coach Sean Hollingshead said his team wasn't surprised by the style of play displayed by Great Bridge in the Wildcats' 3-2 victory in the Class 4 state quarterfinals at Clover Hill on Tuesday.

"We knew they were going to be tough," he said. "They were very physical and very aggressive and we knew they were good on set pieces."

Those set pieces contributed two goals and Great Bridge's Mia Grieco got the ball to trickle into the goal in the 76th minute to complete the Wildcats’ upset win over the Region 4B champion Chiefs.

Monacan senior Olivia Woodson (back) beats Great Bridge goalie Lexie Miller (1) for Woodson's second goal of the game during the Class 4 state quarterfinal on June 6 at Clover Hill High School. This goal tied the Monacan single-season scoring record, but would be the final goal of the year for the Chiefs in the 3-2 season-ending loss to the Wildcats.

"They tried to catch us out on a ball over the topper and it got through," Hollingshead said of the third Wildcats goal. "It's just unfortunate it happened with only four minutes to go. They played their style a little better than we played ours."

The early game was dominated by Monacan as senior Olivia Woodson made her presence felt often. She had two shots on goal herself in the first 10 minutes of play and tried to connect with senior Emily Clark after receiving a pass from junior Gracie Minton for another scoring chance, but the pass was just out of Clark's reach.

Finally, Woodson broke through in the 21st minute, burying a shot from the left side to the right corner.

Just two minutes later, off a free kick, Great Bridge scored when the kick sailed in front of the net and Charmiss Tucker put her head to the ball and into the net to tie it at 1-1.

Woodson created more chances following the first Wildcats goal, peppering goalie Lexie Miller with several more opportunities.

It was just before halftime when Woodson scored again, on a nearly identical play as her first goal, to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead.

Hollingshead praised his senior forward as that second goal tied the single season Monacan record for goals in a season.

"She's the best player I’ve ever coached," he said. "I’ve been at Monacan for 20 years and she's the best player, boy or girl…it's not even close. I was hoping she’d have gotten a third to set the record and we’d be moving on. She's such a great leader for us."

In the second half, however, the Wildcats came out even more aggressive on offense and were spending a lot more time in Monacan's defensive end than they had in the first half. More pressure was put on the Chiefs’ backfield and goalie Grady Smith in the middle portion of the second half than they had faced all game.

The Wildcats tied the game in the 68th minute off another free kick, this one deflecting off the chest of Audrey Orrock for a 2-2 score.

Just eight minutes later, Grieco found her way through the Monacan defense and one-on-one with Smith, who slid to make an attempt at the save, but the ball trickled through and into the goal.

The final four minutes were a frenzy for Monacan as they tried to find the equalizer.

In the 78th minute, a free kick was awarded to the Chiefs, but the ensuing attempt went right into the arms of the Great Bridge keeper. Soon thereafter, in stoppage time, Monacan was awarded a corner, but the ensuing shot sailed high, which would be the last attempt of the game before the whistle blew.

The season ended for Monacan with a record of 13-7, with its only losses coming in the series against Cosby, Midlothian and James River prior to the loss to Great Bridge.

Hollingshead said he's proud of his team for fighting through the region tournament and taking home the crown after going through the crucible that is Dominion District soccer.

"It's a tremendous effort," he said. "We had a rough stretch after Spring Break. We made a couple of changes and started playing really well. I’ve never had a team work as hard and play to its potential as closely as this team did. As a coach, that's all I can really ask for."

With his sights set for victory in the June 9 Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown, Secretariat works out with an exercise rider in the shed row at Belmont Park, New York, May 23, 1973. The horse loosened up indoors to avoid rainy weather. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte leave other racers in the dust at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.

FILE -- Jockey Ron Turcotte poses aboard Secretariat in the winners circle at Churchill Downs after winning the Kentucky Derby in 1973. (AP Photo/HO)

"The track is very much of a man's world," says Penny Chenery, at her Laurel Hollow, New York, May 23, 1973. But Ms. Chenery, owner of Secretariat, adds: "I feel very comfortable there." She stresses however: "I don't want to be one of the boys, I want to be treated like a lady." The trophy is Secretariat's 1972 Horse of the Year award. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

Jockey Ron Turcotte pilots Secretariat (leading, #4) over the finish line at Aqueduct in New York, March 17, 1973 to win the $27,750 Bay Shore stakes in his debut as a three-year-old. The 1972 Horse of the Year, got under the wire 4½ lengths ahead of Champagne Charlie, with Michael Venezia up, second from left, with a time of 1:23 1/5. Venezia's mount was two and a half lengths ahead of Impecunious, right, ridden by James Moseley. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

Race horses Secretariat and Riva Ridge in their barn at Belmont racetrack, New York, Sept. 17, 1973, after a workout. Guard, maintained on a 24-hour basis to protect the fabulous pair, is seen in foreground feeding Secretariat. (AP Photo/Dave Pickoff)

Groom Clay Arnold stands with the 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, May 7, 1975 after giving him hiss daily bath. Old super horse has sired 27 foals since retiring to Claiborne farm in eastern Kentucky and his first offspring will be ready for the track in 1977. (AP Photo)

Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown of racing in 1973, relaxes at the Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky, May 2, 1974 with his groom, Edward Fields. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness in 1973. (AP Photo/Bob Daugherty)

FILE - This June 9, 1973, file photo shows Penny Chenery, owner of Secretariat, reacting after her horse won the Belmont Stakes, and the Triple Crown, at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. Chenery, who bred and raced 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat as well as realizing her disabled father's dream to win the Kentucky Derby in 1972 with Riva Ridge.

FILE - In this April 29, 2010, file photo, Secretariat owner Penny Chenery appears at a news conference about the movie based on the story of the legendary horse, in Louisville, Ky. Chenery, who bred and raced 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat as well as realizing her disabled father's dream to win the Kentucky Derby in 1972 with Riva Ridge, died Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, at her Boulder, Colo. home following complications from a stroke.

FILE- This June 9, 1973, file photo, shows Penny Chenery, right, as she receives the August Belmont Memorial Cup from New York Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in the Belmont Park Winner's Circle, after her horse, Secretariat, won the Belmont Stakes by an astounding 31 lengths. Watching are jockey Ron Turcotte, second from left and Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton.

Two of Secretariat's great granddaughters, Twinkie and Clever (right) walk in a pen in front of Secretariat's yearling stall where the 1973 triple crown winner stayed in his time at Meadow Farm, now home to the State Fair of Virginia in Doswell on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014.

Groundshaker, a great-great granddaughter of Secretariat, at Meadow Event Park in Doswell VA Wed. March 23, 2016.

Ron Turcotte rides Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes on June 9, 1973. Secretariat won the race by 31 lengths and captured the Triple Crown. (AP Photo)

Owner Penny Chenery shown with Secretariat in a family photo.

Nabil Elhilali from Malage, Spain, stopped by to see a Secretariat display at Main Street Station, which features the second largest horseshoe in the world along with other items from Meadow Farm, the land now occupied by Meadow Event Park in Caroline County.

Kate Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery who operated The Meadow horse farm in Caroline County when Secretariat was born.

Curry Roberts, president of State Fair of Va. stands outside the stables that once housed the great Secretariat.

In this publicity image released by Disney, from second left, Diane Lane, Nelsan Ellis, Otto Thorwarth, and John Malkovich are shown in a scene from, "Secretariat." (AP Photo/Disney, John Bramley)

FILE - In this May 9, 1973 file photo, Secretariat, Ron Turcotte up, wins the 98th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Secretariat's owner has asked the Maryland Racing Commission to conduct a hearing about changing the time of the horse's winning run in the 1973 Preakness Stakes. Penny Chenery, along with Maryland Jockey Club president Tom Chuckas, say advances in modern video technology will prove Secretariat ran the 1 3/16 mile race in 1 minute, 53 and 2/5 seconds. That would have been a record at the time and would match the standing record for the Preakness.

Penny Chenery, L, signed autographs for admirers during the 40th Anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown win in 1973. The event was held at Meadow Farm.

Ann Carter of Sandston shakes hands with racing hall of fame jockey Ron Turcotte during Secretariat celebrations at Meadow Farm.

Richmond Police Department's Mounted Division officers Amanda Bass, L, and Dawn Lehmann escorted the Percheron team driven by Goochland's Dr. Tom Newton and pulling a carriage bringing Penny Chenery and her daughter Kate Chenery Tweedy to celebrations for Secretariat's 40th anniversary of Triple Crown victories in 1973.

FILE -- Jockey Ron Turcotte poses aboard Secretariat in the winners circle at Churchill Downs after winning the Kentucky Derby in 1973. (AP Photo/HO)

Secretariat, the record-breaking winner of the Kentucky Derby, is greeted in his stall at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, by exercise attendant George Davis and Penny Chenery in May 1973.

Secretariat shown winning the final leg of racing's 1973 Triple Crown at Belmont Park in New York.

Meadow Farm, where Secretariat was born, photographed Tuesday, June 2, 1998.

Horses on Meadow Farm, where Secretariat was born, photographed Tuesday, June 2, 1998.

Ross Sternheimer, owner of Meadow Farm, stands at the door to Secretariat's stall. Photo taken Tuesday, June 2, 1998.

Triple Crown winner Secretariat gallops during a workout with exercise jockey George Davis in saddle at Arlington Park race track in Arlington Heights, Ill., Friday morning, June 29, 1973. (AP Photo)

Ron Turcotte rides Secretariat to win the Belmont Stakes and capture the Triple Crown in this June 9, 1973 photo. Secretariat set a world record for a one and a half mile course in 2:24, and a record for largest margin of victory in the Belmont, 31 lengths.(AP Photo)

Jockey Ron Turcotte, aboard Secretariat, turns for a look at the field many lengths behind in this June 9, 1973 photo as they make the final turn on his way to winning the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown.

FILE - In this June 9, 2012 file photo, retired jockey Ron Turcotte, left, who rode Secretariat to the Triple Crown in 1973, poses for photos with Kenny Foudy, 5, next to a statue of the race horse prior to the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Secretariat, the 1972 Horse of the Year, cools off in New York on March 17, 1973, after winning the seven furlong Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct by four and a half lengths in his debut as a 3-year-old. "He's just like he was, good," said jockey Ron Turcotte (checked shirt) after Secretariat's explosive stretch run that took him to victory over Champagne Charlie. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm)

GREAT BRIDGE 3, MONACAN 2

Class 4 girls soccer

quarterfinals (Tuesday)

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