Chantilly Tops Kempsville in Semifinal

With five minutes left before halftime of Chantilly's 3-0 Virginia AAA state semifinal victory at Westfield yesterday, three Kempsville defenders spread themselves across a six-yard gap between Chantilly senior midfielders Katie Menzie and Cortlyn Bristol.

The defenders stared at Menzie as she possessed the ball through a series of deft touches. They charged her at first, but then gave her room to work, opting instead to chase Bristol, who was filling a nearby passing lane.

It was a subtle moment that spoke volumes about Bristol and Menzie -- a dominant midfield tandem that forced Kempsville (13-6-2) to pick its poison. The two controlled the game and earned Chantilly (19-2-1) a berth in today's 2 p.m. state final against Mills Godwin, a 2-1 upset winner over Cox in yesterday's other semifinal.

"Katie is the thunder and Cortlyn is the lightning," Chantilly Coach Melissa Bibbee said. "Lightning is what kills and that's what Cortlyn does, and thunder is the pre-work and that's what Katie does."

Bristol, a William & Mary-bound midfielder, and Menzie, a James Madison-bound senior All-Met, dominated the midfield. Menzie controlled possession through her foot-skills, vision and distribution, while Bristol maintained tempo and pace through a series of powerful shots -- a combination that saw the Chargers outshoot Kempsville 17-1 by halftime and 30-6 for the game.

"We don't even have to really talk, we just know," said Bristol of her connection with Menzie.

Twenty of Chantilly's shots were on goal, while Kempsville rarely held possession and managed just one shot on goal.

"The combination plays were really on, and the give-and-goes, they were really on and I fed her a lot of those," said Menzie, who set up Bristol for most of her team-high six shots on goal.

Chantilly senior Kaitlyn Manley gave the Chargers a 1-0 lead in the second minute when she corralled Bristol's misfire off a Kempsville defender and slipped a left-footed chip shot under the crossbar.

Bristol headed home Menzie's corner kick in the 11th minute for a 2-0 lead, and four minutes later, senior Kristen Melchiori served freshman Olivia Colella a well-placed lob into the box, one that Colella leisurely pounded inside the left post for a 3-0 lead.

The Chargers' midfield control allowed for few chances for Kempsville's scorers -- junior midfielder Allie Boubouheropoulos (nine goals, nine assists on the season) and senior midfielder Gabby Carragino (nine goals, seven assists).

In yesterday's other semifinal, Central Region champion Mills Godwin (18-3-1) stopped Cox's winning streak at 10, a dominant stretch during which the Falcons (20-2-2) outscored their opponents, 48-2, with eight shutouts. Mills Godwin is just the second Central Region team to reach the state final.

"They're not just going to roll over and let us have it," Menzie said. "We have to come ready to play."

No. 5 Chantilly 3 Kempsville 0 Unsung Hero: In nine of Chantilly's playoff games in the past two years, Kristen Melchiori, a Lynchburg recruit, has seven goals, including four game-winners. Charging History: Historically, Northern Virginia teams have dominated the AAA state final, winning 24 of 25 titles since the VHSL began sanctioning the tournament in 1984.