The James River girls opened the Region 2C soccer tournament with a tough task last week, traveling to unbeaten Glenvar. The Knights battled on the Highlanders’ pitch but fell 3-1 as their season came to an end.
The Knights held Glenvar scoreless for the first 25 minutes of play last week before GHS standout Giuliana Stanley found the net. Stanley carried the ball from near midfield diagonally to her left, narrowly beating Chloe Helmandollar in a bit of a collision as she crossed into the box and nailed a far post shot past Kylee Aaron in goal with 14 minutes left in the half.
Stanley threatened hard three minutes later but was stopped by the James River defense. The resulting loose ball was challenged multiple times, moving further from the goal each time before Davin Tate found a great slot to drive a high shot through for a second Glenvar goal. Glenvar’s Campbell Hardin knocked in a textbook finish at the back post off a corner kick to finish off the scoring for the first half, and the Highlanders led 3-0 at intermission.
Photos by Jim Devinney
River battled back in the second half. Twelve minutes in Sophia Martin finished a shot to the far post from deep inside the box, the culmination of a solid drive and high pressure. Despite some more solid play, the game ended with a 3-1 score. The Knights finished with a 6-10-1 record.
“I am proud of how the girls played Friday, even when behind,” said coach Bill Smith. “They showed some real character and gave Glenvar a bit of a scare in the second half.
“We struggled to score this season, but we had the talent. Much of that talent will be back in March and I have high hopes for a strong 2025.
