Riverbend Girls Capture Northwest Region Title

Riverbend junior forward Casey Ridings raised her left hand, took a stutter-step and then powered her left foot through the soccer ball, sending the Bears' first corner-kick chance into a scrum of teammates and Forest Park defenders.

Senior midfielder Meredyth Frye circled around the back of the group, leaped into the air and headed home a sharp-angled game-winner in the 47th minute of last night's 1-0 Virginia AAA Northwest Region championship victory at Forest Park.

"We've practiced that for so long, with me being so tall, it's an advantage we've had for the past four years," said Frye, a 5-foot-10 senior midfielder.

The hookup of Ridings and Frye turned the tide after Forest Park's dominant first half, during which the Bruins (13-7) pushed forward behind the three-pronged attack of sophomore Kara Nay, junior Denesha Soto and junior Alex Maddox to outshoot Riverbend, 8-2.

For much of the first half, Riverbend (16-3-2) played on its heels and failed to earn a corner kick until the 47th minute chance thanks in large part to the strong defensive play of Forest Park centerback Bupe Okeowo -- a Jackson State University-bound senior who kept the backline clear.

"We just took this game way too light because we were already in states, but in the second half we just came out much harder," Ridings said.

Riverbend will make its first AAA state tournament appearance Tuesday at home, when it faces the runner-up of the Eastern Region final between Kempsville (12-4-2) and Cox (18-1-2).

Forest Park will travel to play the winner of that game.

Around the Area

In the Virginia A Region B finals, returning state champion George Mason pushed its winning streak to 13 after downing Wilson Memorial, 3-1.

Bull Run District Player of the Year Kim Kenny, a senior center-midfielder, scored two goals to earn the Mustangs (16-2-1) a home game in Tuesday's first round of the state tournament.

Since 2002, George Mason has reached the state final four times, winning three titles, including last year's crown.

In the Virginia A Region B boys' final, George Mason beat Stonewall-Mt. Jackson, 3-1.

Las night's Northern Region girls' final at Fairfax between No. 5 Chantilly (16-2-1) and No. 7 Oakton (13-3) was postponed after the teams played to a scoreless tie with 1:56 left in the first half.

They will replay the game in its entirety today at 2 p.m. at Madison High School, following the boys' final between No. 2 Westfield (14-2) and No. 4 Robinson (14-1-2), which was also postponed. That game will start at noon.

The Region II finals were moved to Park View High School in Sterling today with the girls' final between No. 2 Broad Run (20-0-1) and Heritage (14-6-2) at 6 p.m., and the boys' final between Broad Run (14-6) and Potomac Falls (15-5-1) at 8 p.m.