Northumberland, Va- Neither rain nor a lightning delay could slow down the Goochland Lady Bulldogs and keep them from defeating host Northumberland 3-0 in Tuesday night’s state quarterfinal soccer match.

Though Goochland had handily beaten Northumberland earlier in the season, the Bulldogs did not take their opponent lightly and saw a different team than they had faced before. However, playing with emotion and determination, the Goochland girls dominated the game throughout, taking 29 shots at goal and rarely allowing the Indians to pose an offensive threat.

However, unlike their previous meeting, Northumberland gave Goochland a game this time around. “Part of the difference is we didn’t have a whole team last time,” said Northumberland head coach Mark Fridenstine.” We were missing four starters and I think it showed.”

Yet even with the missing starters return, the Indians were over-matched. “We had a lot of intensity, but they’re a very good team,” Fridenstine said of Goochland. “ They passed very well. They used the triangle very well. They got pretty good speed and they’ve got that one No. 7 (Andrea Odemark), she’s a great playmaker. Very good. She gave us a lot of trouble until we put our speed demon on her and that slowed her down…some, but she’s still a very good player. ”

Goochland head coach Tom Reid was pleased with how his team played. “It was a very good performance on behalf of the girls,” he said. “They played aggressive, they passed well. I’m pleased with the overall performance against Northumberland because they improved a lot since we played them before.”

On defense, senior Brandi Flemming dominated the backfield with speed that far surpassed her Indian opponents. Any ball that made it past midfield was quickly corralled and sent back into the Goochland attack.

Goochland senior Amy Zickefoose put the Lady Bulldogs on the board first by crossing through traffic from the right sideline and sending a shot into the goal past Northumberland keeper Jessica Boarman at the 20 minute mark for a 1-0 lead.

Though they played solid, if there was any lapse in the Bulldogs’ game it came in the ability to actually score the ball. Numerous shots barely missed the frame of the goal either high or to the sides, while many more were wide of the mark.

But even the Northumberland fans appeared impressed by the Lady Bulldogs speed, agility and team play. It was not uncommon to hear comments from the Indian students lining the fence ranging from “wow,” to “WOW!” when the fancy footwork of Odemark left Northumberland players in their tracks.

Midway through the first period, rain began to drizzle onto the field but it did not slow down the Goochland team.

With less than a minute to play in the first period, Zickefoose added a second goal that appeared to demoralize the Northumberland team heading into the locker room.

In the second half, as the rain began to fall harder, it was Odemark’s turn to take control, racing the ball down the sidelines past the Indian players and shooting at the goal time and again, most barely outside or above the net. Odemark finally found pay dirt at the 20 minute mark by sending a ricochet off the right upright and into the net to put Goochland ahead 3-0.

Goochland suffered a blow midway through the second half, when Flemming was yellow carded for a shove. She did not return to the game and Reid said he did not want to risk losing such a valuable player to injury on the wet surface. “She was a wall and I didn’t want to lose her for Friday,” he said. “I would just as soon use her on Friday when we’ve got somebody here to back her up.

With 13:05 left on the clock, the game went into a delay when officials cleared the field because lightning had been seen in the area. After nearly 40 minute delay, the players returned to the field with the rain falling harder than it had all night. But the precipitation did not dowse Goochland’s will to win and they closed the game by shutting out Northumberland.

Goochland will next play the winner of the Virginia High-Glenvar game in the state semifinal at Radford College on Friday, June 6 at 2 p.m.

Goochland       – 2 1 3
Northumberland – 0 0 0
Goals: (G) Zickefoose 2, Odemark 1.
Assists: (G) Cleveland 1, Dulong 1, Donavan 1.
Saves: (G) Richardson 4.