Potomac Falls Wins With Help From All Around

Entering the season, the expectations were that Potomac Falls would be less of a threat in the Virginia AA Dulles District after the graduation of three-time All-Met Uche Onyeador, Virginia's all-time leading goal scorer.

But last night, the Panthers got contributions from up and down the roster, freshmen to seniors, and advanced to the state semifinals with a 3-2 win over Grafton.

It is the Panthers' first trip to that stage since Onyeador led them to a state title in 2006, when he scored 31 goals.

"A lot of people doubted us," senior Asa Fox said. "But as a team we knew what we had, we knew what we could do, and it feels great to have all these guys together and to go to states together."

The Panthers (17-5-1), who have won 11 consecutive games, opened the scoring with 16 minutes 48 seconds remaining in the first half when junior Conor Shanosky found Fox with a long ball on the left side.

Fox used a quick stepover to beat his defender on the end line, then played a ball back across the front of the goal for sophomore Eddy Funes to place into the net.

Potomac Falls extended the lead when freshman Andrew Burris's long free kick bounced into the path of sophomore Isaac Owusu, who poked the ball into the net.

Grafton answered with a goal from Jalon Brown just more than two minutes into the second half, but Potomac Falls opened the lead back to two with 17:53 to play when Burris fed junior Kevin King to set up a one-on-one opportunity that King put away.

"We were known for Uche and Ben Biber and some of the other kids we had, namewise," Potomac Falls Coach Dave Gryder said. "These kids don't have the same name recognition as those guys, but the kids bought in to what we were coaching them to do, they believed in themselves, and I think it shows a team can do it, not just individual players."

The Panthers advance to face district rival Broad Run (15-7), which downed Jamestown, 1-0, in its quarterfinal on a goal from Spencer Martin early in the second half.

It will be the fourth time the two teams have met this season. Potomac Falls won the three previous matches.

In other action, All-Met Player of the Year Sean Murnane scored the game-winner with eight seconds left in sudden-death overtime on an assist from All-Met teammate Irvin Herrera to send No. 2 Westfield (15-3) back home for the Virginia AAA state semifinals with a 1-0 win last night at Cosby.

"We had at least three or four golden opportunities that the goalkeeper saved anyways so it was well worked, well earned, and obviously if it goes into [penalty kicks] who knows," Westfield Coach Tom Torres said. "We're still in shock."

No. 4 Robinson turned in an 11th consecutive shutout, but it would not be enough as the Rams fell to Mills Godwin in penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie.

No. 10 Gar-Field lost, 1-0, to Cox in another Virginia AAA quarterfinal.

George Mason (18-2) got a hat trick from Nick Smirniotopoulos and a key penalty-kick save from goalkeeper Tyler Back in a 5-1 over Mathews. The win sends the Mustangs to the Virginia A state semifinals for the first time since 2005.