By Richard Carrier
Contributing Writer

After steam rolling Park View 8-0 to capture their 6th consecutive Southside District Title last Thursday evening, Head Coach Pam Spotts fervently hopes her girls have found the formula for advancing deep into Regional play for the first time. “We’re finally starting to come together,” she said. “The girls have gotten their moves and timing down. They know where each other are or are going to be. Hopefully, we’re finally peaking at the right time.”

Exhibiting the timing of the well-oiled machine they have become, the Lady Indians wasted no time in putting points on the board. Before the sweltering crowd had settled in their seats, junior Meredith Taylor navigated half of the pitch to punch in the Indians first goal and her first of the season. Sophomore Chelsea Walters scored Powhatan second goal when the first half was not even four minutes old.

In the 90 degree breezeless heat and dripping humidity, Coach Spotts took advantage of her teams other advantage, a deep and very experienced bench. With her players constantly rotating for hydration and cool-downs with cold towels, the girls never missed a beat.

The increasingly potent combination of Hannah Livermon and Courtney Fields collaborated on Powhatan’s third goal, with Fields taking Livermon’s perfect pass, executing a slick dribble and punching in a goal from deep in the Dragons’ box. Fields then pilfered the Dragons attempt to get out of the shadow of their goal post and pounded in another short shot. With 24:07 still remaining, PHS led 4-0.

Powhatan’s fifth goal came at the 14:24 mark. Grace Fehan scooted down the left side-line and centered to Marielle Rando, 20 yards outside of the box. Rando faked out one defender and fired a scoring missile from 15 yards out. Powhatan launched another half-dozen unsuccessful attacks before the end of the half, but Park View managed only one. Senior Mandy Stowers, by far not the tallest keeper in the District, leaped high to tip the only significant Parkview attempt, just over the cross bar.

The Lady Indians ran less than a minute off of the second half clock before Fields found herself and three defenders deep in the box. Fields chip was fielded by the Park View keeper but she lost control for an “own” goal with 39:15 left. In one sequence, Livermon fired one shot that the Park View keeper smothered, had her blast from 20 yards tipped over the cross-bar and her third shot clang off of the cross bar. On the next Powhatan attack, Fields totally whiffed on a crossing pass and broke into giggles before Walters put a perfect pass on Fehan’s toe and the freshman bombed in goal number seven from five yards out. The Dragons couldn’t get the ball out of their end and Fields took advantage. This time she didn’t whiff and fired in Powhatan’s eighth, her third and the game- ending mercy- rule goal with over 20 minutes left on the clock.