Broad Run Sweeps Doubleheader With Strong Defense

Boys Have Given Up One Goal This Season

Despite playing a man down for more than 42 minutes, the Broad Run boys' soccer team dominated possession and continued its shutdown defensive play to defeat AA Dulles District rival Loudoun County, 1-0, Tuesday night in Ashburn behind a first-half goal from sophomore midfielder Daniel Reategui in the first game of a doubleheader.

In the second game, pitting the schools' girls' teams, Broad Run won, 2-0.

The Broad Run boys' team has given up just one goal this year -- an own goal in a loss to Loudoun Valley. Tuesday's game was the third shutout this season for the Spartans.

"We kind of just sat in, we only had one up top trying to pressure, and we rotated them every six, seven, eight minutes," Broad Run Coach Jonathan Hicks said. "We just tried to keep the pressure, and they kept trying to play long balls over the top, and we've got three guys that are over 6-2 in the back, and we just kept winning the ball."

Broad Run (3-1, 3-0) limited Loudoun County (3-2, 1-2) to a few counterattacks early in the game but maintained composure and controlled the midfield.

The Spartans had the first good chance to break through. With 19 minutes 29 seconds remaining in the first half, a goalkeeper mistake left an open net and the ball at the feet of a Broad Run player. But the shot went into the side netting.

Broad Run continued its assault on Loudoun County's defense, time and again moving into its defensive third, but was unable to create many dangerous opportunities.

Then, with 8:10 remaining, a soft-curling chip fell to senior Emerson Rodriguez on the right side of the box.

He crossed to Reategui from around six yards out to give Broad Run the lead.

"I yelled at [Rodriguez] about three minutes earlier for not going into a tackle, and this time he had a chance and went in 50-50 and went through the ball, through the man, and we countered and put two or three passes together," Hicks said.

The goal was Reategui's third on the season.

Rodriguez was red-carded five minutes later, leaving the Spartans facing an uphill battle.

But Broad Run's strong defense and Loudoun County's inability to build an attack on the ground through the midfield allowed the Spartans to control possession.

The seventh-ranked Broad Run girls were also victorious, taking advantage of two set plays in the nightcap of the doubleheader.

Freshman defender Whitney Church registered two assists -- on a corner kick in the first half and in the second half off a free kick -- to lead the Spartans.

The contest was a fast-paced, high-intensity matchup between two of the top teams in the county, but Broad Run controlled the pace for much of the match.

Junior Holly King was superb in the midfield, dictating the play for Broad Run and controlling the tempo of the game.

Broad Run found its chances through the run of play several times throughout the game, and nearly started things off early on when a shot destined for the far post after seven minutes was cleared off the line by Loudoun County's Amy Thompson.

The Spartans (4-0, 3-0) took the lead with 27:31 remaining in the first half when Church's corner landed in the box near King but bounced off of a Raider defender and into the net for an own goal to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.

Broad Run continued to look dangerous in the second half and threatened the Raiders' defense on multiple occasions before breaking through again when Church's free kick from about 40 yards out on the right side fell to Kacey Kelley for the goal.

The win was an important one for Broad Run, which played in several intense games with Loudoun County (3-2, 2-1) last year.

"This was a major win for us. We did very well," Broad Run Coach Claire Collins said. "I'm very impressed with the girls.

"We played extremely well together as a team. They're very happy walking away with this victory."