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Baxter leads Rams to region title
When a coach has won as many games as Jim Rike, it could be easy to grow accustomed to the feeling of being on top. But after his Robinson girls soccer team defeated Westfield, 2-1, in Friday's Northern Region championship game, Rike had to take a minute to control his emotions.
“When you get to a point where you are in my career, these become special because you don't know how many more there are going to be,” said Rike, who has now won 10 region titles with the Rams.
This most recent championship came thanks to the head and feet of junior LeighAnne Baxter. In the seventh minute of the game, Baxter went up after teammate Jensen Smith's cross and headed it into the net for a 1-0 lead, which Robinson would take into halftime.
Two minutes into the second half, Baxter lined up for a free kick on the right wing and sent a left-footed cross into the box. Westfield goalkeeper Brooke Fremeau couldn't handle the ball and Rams sophomore Audrey Barry pounced on the rebound and blasted it into the empty goal for a 2-0 advantage.
Westfield responded less than three minutes later, when a 40-yard free kick by sophomore Lauren Hicks deflected off a Robinson defender, then hit the post and bounced past keeper Katherine Yount. Despite several more opportunities, the Bulldogs were not able to net the equalizer.
In the boys region final, Stone Bridge senior Ronnie Shaban's goal in the third minute proved to be enough, as the Bulldogs held off repeated Robinson attacks to win, 1-0. After falling behind right off the bat, the Rams controlled possession for much of the game, but they were not able to find the net.
Senior captain Seth Goldman played 48 minutes despite a knee sprain he suffered in the first round of the region tournament.
All four region finalists will advance to Tuesday's Virginia AAA state quarterfinals. The Robinson girls and Stone Bridge boys will each host the Eastern Region runners-up, while the Westfield girls and Robinson boys will head south to face the Eastern Region champions.
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