GIRLS SOCCER: Lee wins Region III title in OT

Region III champions, Region III Player of the Year and Region III Coach of the Year – Robert E. Lee claimed them all on Saturday at Waynesboro.

Lee senior Willa Grefe was named Player of the year while her coach, Andrew Green took Coach of the Year honors.

It took 93 minutes in the hot sun, but the Lee Ladies played their best soccer in sudden death overtime and pulled out the 2-1 win after a Jefferson Forest penalty.

Lee’s Blair McDonough set up for the free kick at midfield, nailing a bomb in front of the Cavalier goal. As Jefferson Forest’s keeper Anna Carter came out to defend, Lee senior captain Kathleen Thompson fought for the ball, putting it in the net for the win.

“It felt really good,” Thompson said, “I could feel it before she [McDonough] even kicked the ball and said ‘It’s going in, it’s going in.’ ”

Attacking aggressively, Jefferson Forest dominated Lee in the first half of play, posting eight shots to Lee’s four.

Early in the first half that aggressiveness paid off for the Cavalier midfielder Emilee McDaniel when she pressed into the goal against a swarm of Lee defenders, hammering the shot over Lee keeper Kaitlyn Campbell’s head.

“This is by far the best team we have played all year,” Green said. “Their possession was outstanding. If we hadn’t been playing against them, I would have loved to watch them.”

The tide changed in the second half of play with Lee’s Bree Hersch taking the offensive attack for the Leemen.

“I told them at the half that despite the fact we were down 1-0, they had it in them and if they were going to do it, it had to be now,” Green said.

Hersch’s offensive efforts paid off with seven minutes left in regulation as she was determined to score. The long drive by the senior forced the Cavalier keeper out of position and while allowing the ball to slip into the net, sending the game into overtime.

Lee’s defense stepped it up in the second half as well, with senior defender MaryAnna Doyle and Carter protecting the backfield.

“This defense has been very solid all year,” Green said.

That defense helped secure the win as Jefferson Forest’s Katy Herbert forced Lee fans to hold their breath when she came inches from scoring on a free kick with seconds left in the second overtime.

“This was a great note to start the state tournament on – that’s so much better than saying ‘to end the season on’,” Green said.

With a 16-2-2 record, Lee will host Blacksburg on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in first-round Group AA tournament action.