The Mills Godwin girls’ varsity soccer team has found their strategy: wait until the last possible second to score the winning goal to render a comeback virtually impossible. The team did it in a 1-0 win in triple overtime in the Central Region semifinal Wednesday, and they did it again against Atlee in the Central Region final, this time in regulation.

With the scoreboard showing zeros as official time in the final two minutes was counted down by the head referee, the Lady Eagles won a ball at midfield. Marie Kleider got a step on the defense and entered the left side of the goal box, which brought Atlee goalie Taylor Hoy up to make the save. Kleider dodged Hoy with a cross to sophomore forward Sarah Bellotti. She took a step and shot into the open net with about 40 seconds left in the game.

“Marie was making a great hustle play, and I just saw her going and pressuring the goalie,” Bellotti said. “She just got a touch on the ball, and I saw it and ran as fast as I could, and I put it in the net.”

After resetting, Atlee barely had enough time to make the kick-off before the whistles blew. The Lady Raiders weren’t without scoring chances, but the Mills Godwin defense took away two perfect opportunities.

Midway through the first half Atlee’s Sam Armentrout sent a shot from the left side of the goal box, which brought Godwin keeper Jessie Ashworth out to make the save. The ball deflected off her hands to Kimberly Glymph deep on the left side. She crossed back to Armentrout, who got off a low, quick shot that went to Ashworth’s left. The ball scooted past her, but sophomore defender Lauren Abraham made a sliding clear a foot from the goal line.

Abraham took away another goal early in the second half when Glymph got ahead of her defender and her shot from the right side got loose. Abraham again made a slide save close to the goal line.

The Lady Eagles’ best opportunities came in the second half, which head coach Ali Toole says is not unusual for her team. “We’ve been a second half team lately,” Toole said. “I wish we were a first half team, but they’re getting the job done … They find another way to surprise us every game.”

The Lady Eagles earn a home game in the opening round of the VHSL tournament Tuesday against the second place finisher in the Northern Region. Atlee will be on the road against the winner of the Northern Region final between Oakton and Chantilly, and the team remains confident after play this week.

“You learn something from every loss,” Atlee head coach Bruce Lovelace said. “We’ll take what we learned tonight and move forward.”

Sara Page is the sports editor for the Midlothian Exchange.

Mills Godwin – 0 1
Atlee – 0 0
MG: Bellotti
Saves: (MG) Ashworth 6; (A) Hoy 7
Records: 16-3-1 (MG), 17-1-2