Woodberry knocked out of State Tournament

It was a disappointing Friday for the Tigers. The team couldn't quite find its chemistry. Harris was on the bench with a broken collar bone following our match with Christchurch Tuesday. His absence was certainly felt as we tried many different combinations in central midfield, but just weren't able to create the combination play Harris and Jason developed over the course of the season.

It was a good year for the Tigers. While we're disappointed about the tournament, we are thrilled with taking the prep league championship.

Thanks to all ofyou for your support this season. We are always impressed with the many devoted parents who travel to our games. We look forward to seeing you again next year.

Here are a few fantastic photos taken by Pete Emerson. Mr. Emerson is a professional photographer who photographs many games at the University of Virginia. He was kind to snap a few photos while watching his nephew play!

Woodberry takes Prep League Championship

It is an interesting year in Prep League Soccer. Christchurch (5-0-1) would play Woodberry (4-1-1) while Collegiate (4-1-1) would play Norfolk Academy. Christchurch only needed to tie Woodberry to take the prep league championship outright. A loss to Woodberry would result in a two-way tie, and if Collegiate beat Norfolk, a three way tie.

Woodberry played a heated match on a muddy field. After two goals in the first half, we held off the Seahorses 2-1 to force a League Championship tie.

We replay St. Christopher's in the first round of the state tournament Friday at 3:30. This is sure to be a very tough match against an opponent ready to throw everything they have at us to advance in the state tournament.

V Soccer defeats St. Christopher's 5-1; WFS now ranked 6th in State

In order to have a run at the Prep League Championship, Woodberry knew they had to beat St. Christopher's in Friday's game. St. Christopher's is always a formidable opponent. They play strong, smart soccer. But the Tigers were ready to play Friday.

We played through unusually cold temperatures and wind Friday. Everyone did their best to stay warm while not on the field!

In celebration of all the hard work the boys have put forth this year, the parents threw a team party following the game. We were delighted to step into the warmth of the Barbee Center and enjoy the wonderful food prepared. Thank you parents!

The win places Woodberry in the #6 seed for the state tournament. In the first round we will play a home match against the #11 seed Friday, November 4 at 3:30 p.m. In an interesting twist, St. Christopher's is the #11 ranked team. They are sure to return next Friday eager for a different result.

We play Christchurch Tuesday, November 1 in a head to head battle for the Prep League Championship.

V Soccer defeats Trinity 6-1

Woodberry defeats FUMA 4-2

We knew it would not be pretty, but it had to be done. FUMA has some new talent this year, and they are a real threat on the pitch. Their striker, number 13, leads the league in goals. His presence combined with some threatening players in midfield would create dangerous opportunities. FUMA would play with that threatening striker at central midfield to take away most of our options in the middle of the field. He did that well.

We also knew that we had to shake the habit of coming slowly out of the gates. If FUMA were to get on top first, they'd have the energy to sustain themselves. We needed to be first on the board.

A good defensive line kept FUMA offsides for much of the first half. Some FUMA set pieces showed just how dangerous their star player combination could be. Fortunately, they were not able to capitalize on any of those chance. Meanwhile we were trying to find our way through the packed middle of the field. We had many opportunities, but it was not until midway through the half that Connor stuck the first one in the back of the net. We remained at 1-0 at halftime. We would need a few more to solidify the lead.

FUMA stepped onto the field with their star player back up top. We'd have to watch him closely The whistle blew early in the second half for a penalty kick. It was a generous call, but we'd take it. Jason placed the ball well. 2-0 Tigers.

FUMA responded quickly off a throw in. Their player got a head on it. 2-1.

We countered quickly off a corner on the left side. Peter drove the ball high through the six, just over Jack's head. And while Jack took one for the team occupying the keeper, Shep got his head on it. 3-1.

We thought the FUMA player was offsides. But we didn't get the flag. He had to beat the keeper,which is pretty tough given the way Chris is playing these days. Chris couldn't stop it this time though. It was now 3-2.

With ten minutes left in the second half, the far AR's flag signaled a foul in the box. It was another penalty kick. After a few distracting minutes of card issuing, Jason struck another well placed shot. 4-2 Tigers.

It wasn't pretty. But it had to be done.

V Soccer defeats Blue Ridge 3-1

We're still trying to find our goals. Though we had three today, there were far more opportunities that we just couldn't place in the net. We'll need to sharpen our honing skills over the next week if we are to remain competitive through the tournament.



V Soccer draws with EHS 0-0

Episcopal High School has a strong soccer tradition and their teams have produced many winning results over the years. We were ready for battle.

Episcopal produced many good opportunities throughout the match. They had some great top runners, and a very strong stopper who could deliver the ball anywhere on the field. We were able to figure a few things out defensively to take a bit of the threat away. Chris played a very good game in goal.

We just couldn't quite find the right delivery in this game. Our attempts to get the ball behind their defense were going a little long and our passes in front of their defense were coming up a bit short. Still we had a few good opportunities on goal that just didn't materialize.

This is a good result against a good team.