Boys soccer team crowned State Champs

After falling short in the 5A state semifinals a year ago, the Godwin boys soccer team returned to Fairfax to win the second state championship in the history of Godwin boys soccer.

The team lost only one game all season long, and headed into the state semifinals on an impressive run.

The streak began in early May when the team avenged their lone loss to Deep Run beating them five to one.  A few weeks later the team fell behind to Freeman 3-1 in the second half but quickly recovered scoring three consecutive goals on their way to victory.

Then the conference tournament began.  By beating Freeman for the third time all year in the conference semifinals, the team clinched a spot in the regional tournament.  This set up a rematch with Hermitage for the conference championship after losing to them in an exhibition match early in the year.

Godwin made a statement about its team’s improvement with a 7-0 clobbering of the Panthers.

However, both Godwin and Hermitage advanced to the regional tournament where they met again in the semifinals.  For the second consecutive time Godwin left no doubt about its superiority,  destroying the Panthers 7-0 again.

Despite its momentum, the team fell short of a regional title losing to Princess Anne 1-0, but both teams were assured of state tournament berths.

With senior Will Selden contributing to all the scoring, the team defeated Tuscarora in a semifinal match 3-1 and advanced to the state championship to play a very talented Broad Run High School team.

The championship was a struggle for the first 70 minutes. Godwin played very defensively to negate Broad Run’s individual talent, the Eagles used a counterattack strategy on offense.  The score remained 0-0 through 70 minutes, but late in the second half senior Tommy Kinnick made a long sideline throw in front of the net and junior Will Martin headed it into the back of the net for the first goal of the game.

Kinnick the Richmond Times Dispatch told, “I just lobbed it up as high as it could go, and he (Martin) got up there.”

Only 34 seconds later, Kinnick was in the middle of the action again, sprinting past two Broad Run defenders and scoring on a counterattack.

Broad Run threatened only once more and Godwin held on to win 2-0, securing the state championship trophy for the second time.

Godwin’s only other championship in soccer came in 2003 with an undefeated team led by future Major League Soccer professionals, Adam Cristman and Brad Knighton.

Godwin head coach Skip Stevens told the Times-Dispatch, “It’s unbelievable. This is what you coach for.”