At the start of the season, Coach Tom Reid predicted that his Goochland High School girls’ soccer team would have a victorious season and go on to win states.  The Lady Bulldogs are on their way to achieving their goal. Coming off a winning record in the regular season and district playoff victory, the girls hosted Nelson County in the Memorial Day opener of the Region B Tournament.  A strong performance from the Bulldog starters allowed Goochland to take the game 4-0 over Nelson and move on to Wednesday’s regional semifinals.

  “We had a positive attitude going into the game,” Reid said. “The girls wanted to win. It’s all about being positive.”

  The Lady Bulldogs took that approach to the field facing the Governors.  Goochland kept their opponent busy, staying in close range of Nelson’s box.  When Nelson turned the ball around, the Bulldogs’ defense immediately came alive. 

  Goochland keeper Jessica Richardson blocked a shot before teammate Deidrea Stratton passed the ball back to Bridget Panas and Megan Dulong, stopping Nelson from another attempt.  Passing remained strong as both teams battled at midfield.  After one missed goal, Holly Donovan, Annelle Cleveland, Panas and Dulong worked together to get the ball back into Nelson’s territory.

  Panas then scored the game’s first two goals to give Goochland a 2-0 lead. With strong plays on both ends of the field, the Bulldogs led at the half, holding Nelson scoreless.

  After halftime, the Bulldogs continued to wear on the Governors’ defense.  Within minutes of the start of the second half, Dulong added a point to Goochland’s score with her first goal of the game. 

  Nelson briefly brought the ball down to the Bulldogs’ goal, but Goochland’s defense stopped the Governors before any damage was done.  Nelson tried to keep the Bulldogs from another goal, but failed as Dulong shot the final goal of the game during the last three minutes. 

  The Lady Bulldogs shut out Nelson with a final score of 4-0, and Coach Reid was visibly happy with the outcome of the game.

  “They played well today,” he said afterwards. “They passed well. Our defense was awesome. The girls executed plays as a team, and that’s what made it work.”

Nelson County .........................0 0 — 0
Goochland…..............................2 2 — 4
G: Dulong 2, Panas 2
Saves: Phillips (NC) 5; Richardson (G) 2
Records: Nelson County 3-9-3; Goochland 4-5-2