J. Monroe Comes Up Just Short Of a Title

VIRGINIA BEACH, Nov. 15 -- When Tabb's Colleen Patterson swept the game-winner past the outstretched leg of James Monroe senior goalkeeper Sarah Fisher on Saturday, the Tigers tackled Patterson in celebration of their 3-2 double-overtime Virginia AA/A field hockey championship victory.

Fully sprawled in the position that she had hoped would net her a 17th save, Fisher instead was slumped on the soggy ground.

Some of her teammates threw their sticks. Others cried, and some just crouched in exhaustion on the USA Field Hockey National Training Center's wet turf.

Fisher sat up, stick in her lap, and stared through the net with her back to the crowd. Finally, she turned, pulled herself off the turf and peeled back her mask, showing a smile that perhaps put James Monroe's unlikely run into perspective.

"It's just amazing that we made it this far," Fisher said of the Yellow Jackets (21-6-1), the Virginia AA Battlefield District champion and the Region I third seed.

"I guess we're not really upset that we lost at all, it's more for our seniors that won't get to play again," Fisher said. "I'm just bummed we don't have practice on Monday because what am I going to do with my time?"

Fisher, a Davidson University-bound senior, was a big factor in multiple ways. Because of her, James Monroe was able to overcome being outshot 26-8, and partly because of her the Yellow Jackets were able to force two overtimes despite earning four corners to Tabb's 17.

Tabb (24-0), located in Yorktown, won its second state championship. It won the classification's first trophy in 2000. The final was a rematch of the Tigers' 2-1 double-overtime Region I championship victory over James Monroe.

"We took a team that is unbeaten, 24-0, we took them into double overtime for the second time this season," James Monroe Coach Jamie Tierney said. "They just fought right to the end."

James Monroe made its few chances count, scoring its two goals on four corner tries.

"We all kept cheering each other on and saying 'believe, believe,' and it was helping so much, and that's what got us to get that second goal," said James Monroe sophomore Taylor Herold, who shipped senior Phoebe Willis's cross to the back right post, where Abby Avery touched it in to tie the score at 2 and force overtime.

Tabb scored first on a shot by Patterson 13 minutes into the first half, and James Monroe answered five minutes later when junior midfielder Chelsea Morris drilled home a deflection off the Tigers' goalkeeper. Tabb scored midway through the second half on a corner finish by freshman forward Lauren Neff before Avery's score-tying tap-in.

"I think we belonged here, but we came from fourth in the district, so I'm just really proud of this team to get here from where we started," Willis said. "Our main goal was to not play defense the whole game. We did our best to attack them, but Tabb, they are just a really well-conditioned team."

Tabb 3 James Monroe 2 (2 OT)

Dominant: Tabb outscored its 24 opponents 103-5, with 19 shutouts.

Extra Effort: James Monroe played a total of 152 minutes of hockey in its semifinal and championship games.