Georgetown Visitation's Tie Shows ISL Is Up for Grabs

In the time it took Georgetown Visitation and St. Stephen's/St. Agnes to play to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday afternoon, two things became clear: A tie doesn't always feel like a tie, and the Independent School League championship is no longer a foregone conclusion.

The host Saints, who have won the ISL regular season title eight years in a row and the league's postseason tournament seven years in a row, held a 1-0 lead for most of the second half. But Georgetown Visitation senior Lee Crittenberger scored with 1 minute 34 seconds remaining in regulation, and neither converted in a 10-minute overtime.

Afterward, the Cubs celebrated the tie, while the Saints talked about regrouping.

"It definitely feels like a loss," said St. Stephen's/St. Agnes senior Reilly Woodman, who scored her team's lone goal with 20:11 to play. "This is different from [past] years, but it shows how hard we have to work this season. It's going to push us forward and push us to practice hard every day."

Georgetown Visitation had a losing streak against the Saints dating from 2002, according to Cubs Coach Karen Zarchin, so her team's reaction was markedly different.

"The scoreboard is 1-1, but playing as well as we did and tying this team, it's a win for us," Crittenberger said. "Now we've set the bar high for ourselves, and we have to continue pushing."

Georgetown Visitation won't face St. Stephen's/St. Agnes again in the regular season, but they could meet in the ISL tournament, possibly in a rematch for the title. Last year, the Saints beat the Cubs in the ISL championship game, 2-1.

Finally, Gar-Field Wins

The Gar-Field field hockey team encountered a strange situation while protecting a 1-0 lead at Stonewall Jackson on Sept. 15. Winless in four-plus seasons prior, the Indians were never required to plan a post-victory celebration.

So when the final buzzer sounded, several Gar-Field players stood around staring at one another, unsure of exactly what they should be doing.

"We just all got in a circle and started jumping around," said sophomore Laura Featherstone, who scored the team's lone goal against Stonewall Jackson. "It was our first time, and I guess we didn't do so well."

Earlier this season, Gar-Field scored the first goal in program history during a 3-1 loss to Lee on Sept. 3, and although the Indians are 1-6 this season, the program's first-ever win won't soon be forgotten

"I don't think we focused on winning," senior Gabriella Munoz said. "We just wanted to play a good game."

Centreville Enjoys Reversal

Four years ago, Meghan Doran oversaw a Centreville field hockey program that finished 2-11-2. So this year, with the Wildcats at 8-0 before Wednesday night's game at Chantilly, the turnaround has been a welcome change.

During those lean years, Doran struggled to simply field a team. Now, she has 10 players who supplement their high school season with upper-level travel and club squads and three more who appear on an as-needed basis.

"I really can't pinpoint anyone in particular, but we've been pleased with our starters' work in the offseason," Doran said.