By JIM McCONNELL
NEWPORT NEWS--Courtland wasn't around to defend its state title, but James Monroe and Chancellor ensured that the Battlefield District's domination of Group AA field hockey will continue for at least one more year.
After the Yellow Jackets beat Western Albemarle 4-1 in yesterday's first state semifinal at Christopher Newport University, the Chargers blanked Monticello 7-0 to set up a third consecutive all-Battlefield final today at 10 a.m.
"We have a strong district and that helps a lot. It's not that big a change at states," said James Monroe junior Maggie John, who scored once in each half yesterday.
Other than the venue, today's game should feel like a district game for both James Monroe (18-6) and Chancellor (21-1). The teams have already played three times this season, with the Chargers winning each.
Chancellor also beat James Monroe three of four times last season, including a 4-1 verdict in the state semifinals.
"We know JM's going to be fired up," Chancellor coach Jim Larkin said. "They've gotten better as the year has gone on. Hopefully we have, too."
The Yellow Jackets and Chargers left no doubt that they were the two best teams on the field yesterday afternoon, outshooting their opponents by a combined 32-9 while dominating play for all but a few minutes.
James Monroe knocked Region II champion Western Albemarle onto its heels from the opening whistle. John put the Jackets ahead just 2:37 into the game with an unassisted goal, then Emma Mehrabi set up Cameron McManus' goal to make it 2-0 less than five minutes later.
Western Albemarle put together its first sustained offensive pressure late in the first half and kept up the pressure after halftime. Abby Wheeler slapped in a rebound off a penalty corner, cutting James Monroe's lead to one goal with 28 minutes left in the game.
The Warriors nearly tied it a couple of minutes later, but JM goalie Sarah Fisher made a pretty stick save after Bridget Lynn's long hit deflected off a stick inside the penalty circle.
Western Albemarle's last chance came when an unmarked Effie Nicholoau collected a loose ball near the left post, but her point-blank shot missed the cage.
Moments later, Jordan McDaniel provided a valuable insurance goal for James Monroe. John added her second goal with 6:02 left in the game, sending the Yellow Jackets into the state final for the second time.
"It's a lot of pressure, but a lot of excitement, too," said Mehrabi, one of seven seniors on the JM roster. "It would be the greatest thing for the seniors to leave knowing that we were the first girls team at James Monroe to win a state title."
Despite many more opportunities, winning the championship has proven just as elusive for Chancellor since its lone title in 2001. The Chargers lost the last five state finals--the last two to rival Courtland--and played yesterday with the intensity of a team that's close to accomplishing its season-long mission.
"We've been waiting for this moment since the whistle blew at the end of last year's state final," Chancellor defender Missy Woodie said.
The best chance for Region II runner-up Monticello would've been facing a Chancellor team that was already looking ahead to the championship match. Instead, the Chargers overwhelmed the Mustangs with a breathtaking combination and skill and speed.
Even after Jenna Cinalli's goal was nullified because of a penalty, Chancellor scored four times in the first half yesterday. Sarah Webb, Ashton Perry, Erika Wishard and Cinalli found the back of the cage as the Chargers spent most of the opening 30 minutes in Monticello's penalty circle.
Wishard, Lara Cariker and Perry added second-half goals for Chancellor, which outshot Monticello 19-0 and had six penalty corners to just one for the Mustangs.
Under different circumstances, the Chargers' performance might have left an impression on JM coach Jamie Tierney and her players, who stayed around after their game to watch most of the second semifinal.
But then, there are few surprises between the two district foes by this point of the season.
"It's hard when you've already played them three times. We're going to throw a couple wrinkles at them and see if it works," Larkin said.
In contrast to the often-contentious rivalry between Courtland and Chancellor, players from both James Monroe and Chancellor insisted that the teams' familiarity over the past two seasons hasn't bred even the slightest contempt.
"Do we still want to beat each other? Yes," Larkin added. "But there's a lot of respect between the two teams and that's the way it should be."
To reach JIM McCONNELL:
Email: jmcconnell@freelancestar.com
GROUP A/AA TOURNAMENT James Monroe 4, Chancellor 7, Monticello 0 Today's final Chancellor vs. JM, 10 a.m.
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