Strong Defense Sets Up Potent Offense for Stone Bridge

By B.J. Koubaroulis

Saturday, April 26, 2008

There were no dark clouds overhead and the sun lit a clear sky, yet a steady drizzle came down during much of the second half of the Stone Bridge girls' soccer team's 4-0 victory over visiting Chantilly.

The mix was appropriate only because it so perfectly summed up No. 7 Stone Bridge (8-2, 4-1 Virginia AAA Liberty District), which is off to one of its best starts in school history.

The Bulldogs' strong play appears based on a dazzling offensive front that is scoring 2.7 goals per game. But Stone Bridge is anchored by a tactical back line that steadily rains offensive possessions rather than clearing dangerous balls.

“A lot of our balls forward come from our defenders,” said Stone Bridge central defender Lindsay Henry, a junior who has orally committed to play at UNC Wilmington. “We don't just boot the ball away and I think that's why we score so many goals.”

Stone Bridge's physical back line - made up of Henry, Kelly Malacarne and Jazmyn Ervins - held Chantilly to two shots on goal and no corner tries in the first half, allowing All-Met junior forward Krysti Rodriguez (seven goals, seven assists) to craftily manage an attack that delivered 12 shots, eight of them on goal.

The relentless pressure helped Stone Bridge earn five corner kick chances and its fourth shutout.

The Bulldogs have shut out three of their past five opponents and allowed just two goals in that stretch.

“It starts with the defense,” said Rodriguez, who finished senior midfielder Abigail Apistolas's 15-yard cross with a leaping header to give Stone Bridge a 1-0 lead in the 12th minute. “Our communication is so good. Lindsay likes to keep everyone in line and she tells everyone where to go.”

Rodriguez later assisted sophomore midfielder Jennifer Skogerboe's goal in the 50th minute to put the Bulldogs up 2-0. She followed Maggie Scheirling's 63rd minute head-in with a breakaway left-footed finish in the 72nd minute that gave Stone Bridge its fourth goal.

Fourth-ranked Chantilly (5-1-3, 2-1 Virginia AAA Concorde District) lost its second straight following Thursday's 3-0 loss to No. 2 Robinson (8-1).

In the boys' game that followed, No. 2 Stone Bridge dominated the Chargers, 5-0.

Tagged: Stone Bridge High School

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