'Canes' state semi run

Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009

Click here to enlarge this photo File photo by DARWIN WEIGEL Huntingtown defeated Northern to win the 3A South girls soccer title. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

"I told them that losing to Tuscarora 2-0 on Nov. 14 doesn't define who they are as players, as kids, as people," Huntingtown head coach Rob Soper said days later. "There are 70 or 80 teams in the 3A in the state of Maryland and they made it to the final four. You have to keep that in perspective. It was the most successful season and they accomplished a lot. We lost five very, very strong players and we did a lot this year. We had a lot of overachievers this year, that's for sure."

The Hurricanes (13-3-2), who graduated a core of seniors, nevertheless won eight straight games over the regular season and playoffs before a win in penalty kicks over county rival Northern in the 3A South region championship game.

"I've run this game through my mind many times over the last 24 hours and I don't have any answers for it because statistically we led in [almost all] areas," Soper said. "I think we would have had the lead in just about every category except on the scoreboard. It's a very hollow feeling. It's very ... unsatisfying to kind of lose the way we did because I really believe that if we played that team 10 times that we would have won seven or eight times."

Huntingtown defeated fourth-seeded Thomas Stone, 2-1 in the 3A South region semifinal on Nov. 6 and cruised to a 5-1 victory over Chopticon in a quarterfinal match-up three days earlier.

AJ MASON