Potomac Falls Had Three One-Goal Leads
By Paul Tenorio
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Thirty minutes after the final whistle on Tuesday night, Potomac Falls' soccer players remained on the field in a circle around Coach Dave Gryder, discussing what had just happened and what they had to do to fix it.
Four days after losing their first regular-season game in three years, Potomac Falls lost again -- this time in overtime to Loudoun County, 4-3.
Three times the Panthers held a lead, and three times the Raiders tied the score. Loudoun County's Matt Backenstoss sent the game to overtime on a goal with nine minutes remaining.
For Loudoun County, which had struggled its past two games to find any sort of connection, the ability to fight back was a confidence builder. And with 3 minutes 24 seconds remaining in overtime, Chris Herrarte slid between two defenders and slotted home the winner.
"I told them no matter what happens tonight, Potomac Falls is going to score goals, that's what's going to happen," Loudoun County Coach Kris Goodwin said. "We just can't lose composure when we go down. No matter what happens, they have to just keep composed and be aggressive, and things will fall in place."
Potomac Falls (1-2, 0-2 Virginia AA Dulles District) took the lead in the 18th minute when two-time All-Met forward Uche Onyeador collected a pass from a cleared corner kick, dribbled half the field and held off two defenders to cross to junior Joe Bires, who sat alone on top of the six-yard box to head it home.
But the Raiders (2-2, 1-1) responded eight minutes later. Backenstoss took a long pass from defender Ben Forbes and fired a shot to the far post. Potomac Falls goalkeeper Nic Johnson got a hand on it, but the deflection fell into the path of Herrarte, who touched it home.
"I knew [Johnson] was looking for it," Backenstoss said. "I had an unlucky shot but it turned out for the best because Chris was there to put it in."
The Panthers again took the lead as Onyeador, who will play next season for Georgetown, set up a second goal when his curling free kick bounced off the upper right corner of the goal frame and fell to Wilfredo Alvarez Lairana, who blasted a shot into the upper netting for a lead at the half.
Once again, however, Loudoun County did not quit. Seven minutes into the second half, Matt Raimando slotted a goal home from the right side of the penalty area.
Potomac Falls again took the lead when Asa Fox caught County's keeper too far off his line and blasted a shot from 35 yards that came off the crossbar, and Onyeador headed it home.
But Backenstoss found himself with space late in the game and punished the Panthers, and Herrarte won it with his second goal of the night, dribbling through two defenders in the corner and slotting home a shot to the far post.
"It all starts with aggressiveness and wanting to win," Herrarte said. "I just had the ball, saw the net wide open and just put it in."
While the Raiders basked in the win and a newfound confidence, the Panthers were left to self-evaluate, with players and coaches after the game asking each other to step up and improve in the face of what is now a two-game hole in the district.
"We just have to man up," Gryder told his players.
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