The Lord Botetourt girls made it all the way to the Virginia High School League Class 3 state semifinal before their soccer season came to an end at Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg last Friday. LB lost to Lafayette High, the eventual state champion, 4-1.
The Cavaliers opened state play with a quarterfinal win over the Flying Flucos of Fluvanna County in Palmyra. Ally Spangler scored a three-goal hat trick as LB took a 4-3 win. Emma Rice had the other goal and Botetourt got assists from Allison Kirby and Falan Peters.
“That was a fun and exciting game to watch,” said LB coach Giuseppe D’Arpa. “Back and forth, two teams battling it out.”
That put the Cavaliers into Friday’s semifinal in Fredericksburg where they went up against Lafayette High. LB gave up two early goals and never could level the score, falling 4-1. Spangler had the only goal for the Cavaliers.
Lafayette went on to beat Hidden Valley in the championship game on Saturday, 5-0, to win the state championship. Lord Botetourt finished with a 19-4 overall record.
“A great accomplishment by this group of young ladies,” said D’Arpa. “They fought hard all season long and it showed. We made it to the final four in states.”
The Lady Cavs finished the season as Blue Ridge District champions, Region 3D runners-up, and made it to the Final Four in the state fhampionships, which is farther than any LB girls soccer team has ever been before. The Cavaliers graduated eight seniors from this team in May, but D’Arpa has a wealth of talent returning.
