The score improved.
The outcome did not.
Coming off an 8-0 setback to Hidden Valley in the same spot last year, Abingdon cut the margin in half this time but was still no match for the Titans in falling 4-0 Monday in the Region IV girls soccer AA quarterfinals.
The Falcons (13-6) hung with Hidden Valley (12-5-2) for most of the first half, trailing just 1-0 for more than 30 minutes after Lauren Williams put the Titans on the board with a skillful volley off a throw-in seven minutes into the match.
Abingdon had a couple of good opportunities to get things evened back up, including Emily McMurray’s rip off the crossbar with 7:30 remaining in the first. But Heather Mwitanti struck for Hidden Valley five minutes later off a beautiful passing combination from Lacey Todd and Haley Cutright.
“Abingdon did a great job to look to match that level of play and it just really took a lot out of them physically,” said Falcons coach Anna Baker. “Giving up that second goal really took a lot out of our spirits.”
Hidden Valley’s third tally was the ultimate backbreaker as Megan Branigan hit a long blast from the left side that took a high bounce and slipped into the upper right corner of the goal midway through the second half.
The strike was eerily similar to the boot deemed a “shross” (shot + cross) by Hidden Valley defender Mitchell Woodward that helped doom the Abingdon boys when the two teams met last year.
“I just got wide, trying to make the run,” Branigan said. “Hitting it far post, either someone gets on it or it goes in.”
Although Hidden Valley, which got its final goal from Reagan Dayberry, ended the Falcons season once again, Branigan acknowledged that it wasn’t as easy this year.
“I think they fought hard and I think they’re a good squad,” she said.
Despite the still-wide final margin, Baker said playing the Titans closer this year is a positive achievement for her team.
“Certainly there are times to have moral victories and this is definitely one of them,” she said.
BOYS
Hidden Valley 8, Abingdon 1
While the Abingdon girls could point to some positives in their loss, there were no victories – moral or otherwise – for the boys.
The Falcons fell behind 3-0 before the game was five minutes old and ended up losing by one more goal than their 6-0 shellacking at the hands of the Titans in the 2010 regional quarterfinals.
“All their district teams are real good, but last year was 6-0 and that was pretty bad,” said Falcons coach Nate Whitehurst. “I just never would have guessed they would have scored eight on us.”
Garrett Steele got the Titans’ scoring onslaught going three minutes into the match off an assist from Will Hare, who would also score the final goal for Hidden Valley (11-5-1). Steele finished with a game-high three goals.
Senior Will Coale scored in the waning minutes for the Falcons (12-2-1), but that merely cut the deficit to seven.
“That start was just terrible for us,” Whitehurst said. “They weren’t ready to play. It’s hot out, I don’t know. There were a lot of factors – I don’t really know.”
Unlike last year, however, when the Falcons lost the core of their team to graduation, Whitehurst started six sophomores and one freshman Monday and said he remains hopeful that his team can eventually challenge the River Ridge District powerhouses.
nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543
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