Chantilly Makes It A Season Of Firsts

Chargers Finish With State Title

As she walked toward a group of smiling players yesterday at Westfield, Chantilly Coach Melissa Bibbee held up her arms.

In her left hand she grasped the Virginia AAA state soccer championship trophy. In her right hand was a poster-sized bracket, proof of the Chargers' dominant run through the state tournament, one that ended in a 2-1 victory over Mills Godwin to earn the program its first-ever state championship.

"I'm still," Bibbee hesitated, "I'm really, I just don't know."

Bibbee's disbelief stumped her yesterday as she scrolled back through a season that saw the Chargers (20-2-1) achieve a series of firsts: a Concorde District title on a penalty-kick upset of the nation's top-ranked team, Robinson; a region title win over feisty Oakton; and now, the state championship.

"This is the culmination of our season right here," said All-Met midfielder Katie Menzie, a senior James Madison recruit who, along with Cortlyn Bristol (William and Mary), paced Chantilly as it outshot its last two playoff opponents, 59-12.

After she one-touch settled a loose ball near the edge of the penalty box yesterday, Menzie teed off, sending a strong right-footed low-rolling dart through a tight space between her teammates and defenders for a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.

In the 43rd minute, freshman Olivia Colella bent a 25-yard shot from the left side over the finger tips of the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.

"I just don't know how to feel right now. I mean I've never experienced this," said Colella, one of six freshmen expected to continue to grow the Chargers into an area power.

Mills Gowdwin (18-4-1) applied early pressure with Anne Lumpkin, Sarah Bellotti and Marie Krider, but it was forced to sag its 4-4-2 set into the middle to account for the game-controlling midfield tandem of Bristol and Menzie. The duo paced Chantilly as it outshot Mills Godwin 12-4 by halftime and 29-6 for the game.

Chantilly smothered most of the Eagles' chances by depending on its strong back line, which was centered by sophomore speedster Madyson Brown and fortified by junior Kelsey Reiman and sophomore Eileen Sechler. Most opportunities that made it past that wall were halted by junior goalkeeper Lauren Jancuska, except for Krider's 68th minute breakaway that cut the lead to 2-1.

Chantilly's victory furthered Northern Virginia's dominance of the AAA state soccer championship. Since the VHSL began sanctioning the tournament in 1984, 25 of 26 title winners have come from Northern Virginia.

Chantilly dominated its way through the second half of the season, winning its last 12 and outscoring its opponents 29-7 with seven shutouts.

"This is what we worked so hard for," Colella said. "There's just no better way to end it."

No. 5 Chantilly 2, Mills Godwin 1 Redemption: In 2001, Chantilly Coach Melissa Bibbee, then the coach at Langley, saw her team's undefeated season come to an end in a 2-1 loss to W.T. Woodson in the state final. Chantilly assistant Kat Libby was a player on that team. A Bright Future: Chantilly started three freshmen, two sophomores and two juniors yesterday and is expected to draw from a talented young crop from local club power Chantilly Burn.