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Robinson's fountain of youth
Last season, Robinson girls soccer coach Jim Rike felt like he had a team that could win it all. The Rams were young but talented, and Rike thought they could overcome their inexperience to find success in postseason play. But injuries derailed Robinson's run, and the Rams fell in the Concorde District final, then lost in penalty kicks to eventual state champion Lake Braddock in the Northern Region semifinals.Robinson's players had another year of experience under their collective belt heading into the 2008 playoffs, but they were once again bitten by the injury bug when starting middle back Cole Miller went down with an ankle sprain last Tuesday – just a day before a semifinal matchup with Chantilly. Rike shuffled his defense and the Rams responded by allowing just one goal en route to the first Concorde District title in team history.
"This year we were very fortunate that we avoided the serious injury until Tuesday afternoon," said Rike, who moved sophomore Brooke Curtis from midfield to Miller's defensive position. "For the semis and finals, we had to readjust our lineup and drop one of our central midfielders to central defense. I thought Brooke did a heck of a job in the last two games."
After losing in the Concorde final in each of their first two years in the district, the third time proved to be the charm for the Rams. Robinson (13-1) dispatched Chantilly, 2-0, in overtime, then advanced to Saturday's district title game and defeated Westfield, 2-1.
While Curtis solidified the defense, there were also two sophomores who starred on offense for the Rams Saturday. After 35 scoreless minutes in the first half, Stephanie Johnson came off the bench to find the back of the net and send Robinson into halftime leading, 1-0. Westfield tied the score early in the second half, but Audrey Barry won the ball from a Bulldogs defender with eight minutes remaining and fired a low shot into the right corner for what proved to be the game-winning goal.
"This is two games in a row where she's come through with the game-winner against Westfield," Rike said of Barry. "I'm just glad we have her and aren't playing against her. She's a great kid."
Rike has been pleased with the progress he's seen from Barry and the eight other sophomores on Robinson's roster. He pointed out that by playing on competitive club teams, these girls are used to the high-pressure situations that postseason play brings.
"Last year, my comment was, 'The freshmen aren't freshmen anymore,'" Rike said. "Well, the sophomores aren't sophomores anymore with another 14 games under their belt. Every game we go further gives them more experience. Maturity comes from experience. They've done well."
Though the Rams were excited about their first Concorde championship, they were also focused on the next task at hand – the Northern Region tournament. Robinson faced Edison in the first round of region play Tuesday and defeated the National District's fourth seed, 3-0. The Rams will host Woodson in the region quarterfinals Thursday at 7 p.m.
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