Chesapeake Girls Soccer Falls Short in Region Final

COLUMBIA, Md −- For the second year in a row, the Chesapeake girls soccer team saw its playoff hopes halted in the state region final.

After playoff wins against Northeast and J.M. Bennett, the Cougars fell 1-0 to Atholton High School on a cold and rainy evening of playoff soccer on November 7.

“They’re a very skilled team, all over the field. I thought it was pretty even for parts of it,” said Chesapeake coach Kevin Keeter about the opponents.

A first-half goal from Atholton’s Catalina Lennon was enough to push the Raiders into the state tournament.

Weather conditions made things difficult for both squads, significantly limiting each side’s attack.

“The goal to me seemed like it skipped a little bit. It hit off a shin and they were there to put it away,” Keeter said. “There weren’t a lot of quality chances tonight because of the weather.”

The defense would regroup and limit Atholton’s chances for the remainder of the match.

“It was just an unlucky goal for us,” said Madison Wheeler, a senior captain for Chesapeake.

The second half saw a shift in attack for the Cougars. Finding little success with through ball passes, the team tried to connect more through the midfield. Fellow senior captain Camryn Gerben, sophomore Leia Black and junior Haley Downin began linking up with the attack, but chances we still hard to come by.

“We told them we’re playing with them and that it was a very even game,” Keeter said.

With a little more than 10 minutes left in the game, a through ball into the box was met by a sliding effort from freshman Brooke Hurst, but was unsuccessful after a save by Atholton’s Bryce Bathras.

Bathras recorded four saves for the game, while her counterpart Ellen Ziaja tallied three saves for Chesapeake.

“They gave everything they had,” Keeter said about his team.

A late corner kick for the Cougars was cleared and fell to the foot of freshman Amy Dolan, but her attempt could not find the frame of the goal. Shortly after, the final whistle blew, ending Chesapeake’s run through the playoffs.

Despite the disappointing loss, Wheeler was able to speak of the experience of playing high school soccer holistically. “I’ve had a great time at Chesapeake,” she said. “I loved all the different girls on the team. I think every year we’ve improved.”

Speaking about Wheeler, Gerben and Ziaja, coach Keeter was very pleased with the progress of the program and what the veteran trio brought to the squad.

“They’ve elevated the program to expect to make it this far,” Keeter said.

Chesapeake will look to build on their recent success as several key contributors will return next season. The JV girls soccer team finished their season with an impressive 10-3-1 record.

“There’s a lot of promise [there],” Keeter said.