Junior Adrienne Maday (10) scored on a PK to tie the semifinal contest at Good Counsel Friday.
It was a late fall afternoon straight off a movie set; a gray sky , a biting wind that seemed to howl from 20-30mph throughout the game, chilling the few brave souls on hand to watch a compelling rematch of the stunning upset of the WCAC’s top-ranked and undefeated team a year ago at Kline Stadium. Â The top ranked Falcons, teetering on their first conference loss at Bishop Ireton days before once again facing the upstart Cardinals.
The game was a physical battle, with the ebbs and flows as momentum swayed back and forth between the determined teams as the flags and pennants snapped in the west wind gale. Â Good Counsel opened the game pressing the Cardinals and containing the early action in the Ireton end. With 15 minutes remaining in the opening period, a furious scramble in front of the net resulted in an apparent Good Counsel goal before officials waved it off on an offside call just feet from the goal line.
Soon the Cardinals are counterattacking. With their skilled ball movement spreading the field, they created lanes and openings.  Freshmen Lillie Webber unloaded a blast that sailed over the goalkeeper’s outstretched hands but inches over the crossbar, as the Virginians best chance of the game to that point went high over goal in the game’s 32nd minute of play.
Suddenly, the tide shifted back to the home team.  In the half’s final two minutes, the bigger Falcons pushed the ball deep into the box once again and  junior Courtney Parr found the ball on her foot after it deflected off an Ireton defender and scored in the 38th minute.
The second half opened with the visitors on the attack and the a hand  ball cost the  home squad early in the stanza when Ireton junior Adrienne Maday was awarded a free kick inside the box after a hand ball foul near the goal line in the game’s 45th minute.  Her shot, a hard, low liner, screamed into the back of the net almost before the Falcon keeper could react to knot the score at 1-1. Suddenly the wind was not as strong, the chill not as biting, as play resumed for the black-clad Cardinals.
But, Good Counsel is an experienced team, with many on the team well aware of the disappointment of a year ago. Quickly, they regrouped and pushed for the advantage. The advantage came in the game’s 50th minute when again the ball made its way inside the Ireton zone and gave the talented Falcons too much opportunity.  Junior Amanda Amankwa scored off of a cross by freshman Nia Dorsey and a 2-1 Good Counsel advantage.
Bishop Ireton renewed the attack and played much of the game’s final 20 minutes in the home team’s end.  The Falcons were content to concede the offensive zone, but clogged the midfield and choked the defensive zone, often doubling the ball as the Cardinals attempted to find an opening across the pitch. Almost inevitably, as the redbirds pressed, a pass back to reset the attack resulted in a turnover and Good Counsel sealed the win in the 70th minute when Dorsey scored on a cross from senior Midge Purce effectively putting the game beyond reach at 3-1.
As the sunlight fled the day and the wind continued relentlessly, the Falcons hugged and screamed, while the deflated Cardinals sat silently on the sideline, some sobbing softly, for the end of another good season or, for others the end of a high school soccer career, as the warm Ireton coach bus beckoned them.  Quickly the small crowd fled the stands, heading to their cars, while the visitors slowly marched across the field their quest for a return to the WCAC championship over. As was likely the case a year ago, in the disappointment of defeat are sown the seeds of determination to find a way when the next opportunity presents itself. (Good Counsel went on to a 2-0 win over Bishop O’Connell in the championship game on Sunday.)
Bishop Ireton ended the season 4th in the WCAC, a 4-3-1 mark in league play, Â 8-5-2 overall.
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