St. Albans midfielder Henry McBride, his defender and the soccer ball all went hurtling toward the sideline in the 68th minute of Thursday’s Interstate Athletic Conference championship game against Georgetown Prep.
That’s when he heard somebody call out, “It’s still in!”
The senior lifted himself off the wet track and saw the ball was sitting alone, in bounds, waiting for him. He sprinted to it, took a few touches and then sent a perfect cross into the box, assisting on the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win for the Bulldogs.
“[The defender] may have thought it went out,” McBride said. “But I went after it and just put it in there.”
Sophomore forward Wayne Frederick was the player to finish off McBride’s cross from point-blank range. Frederick is one of just two underclassman starters for the No. 4 Bulldogs (17-0-2). With that experience came high expectations, and being able to consistently beat the No. 5 Little Hoyas (12-3-4) was one of them.
“The past five years, we’ve played them to more one-goal games or draws than anybody else,” St. Albans Coach Brian Schultz said of Prep. “Every game we play against them can go either way. That’s how close we are.”
The programs split last year’s title, with the Hoyas as regular season champions and the Bulldogs as tournament winners. This year, St. Albans won the regular season and went into Thursday’s match with the goal of being outright champs.
Senior goalie Caleb Ehrenhaft and the Bulldogs’ defense came into Thursday’s final with a reputation to uphold. They had allowed just seven goals this year. At one point they went about a month — nine matches — without conceding.
“The back line takes care of every single thing that comes in my area, so if a ball does come over the top, I just have to pay them back [with a stop],” Ehrenhaft said. “That’s where everything starts from for us – from the back.”
Now the team turns its attention to the D.C. State Athletic Association tournament, which begins Tuesday. It provides a chance for another title and a few more games to keep this undefeated season alive.
“After this game, we’re going to take a deep breath and enjoy it a day or two,” Schultz said. “But then we’re going to get right back into it.”
Potomac School wins MAC
In the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference final, Potomac School defeated Sidwell Friends in a penalty shootout, 1-1 (5-4 in seven PK rounds). The Panthers (11-6-1) took a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute and led for much of the afternoon. Sidwell (15-2-2) tied the score with three minutes left to force overtime and then the shootout.
This is the second time in the past three seasons Potomac has won the MAC tournament title.
