By Liz Lizama
The George Mason High School girls soccer team returned from spring break to win 9-0 against Madison County High School on Monday and 8-0 against Manassas Park on Tuesday.
In Mason’s last game before break, the Mustangs shut out Central Woodstock High School, 8-0. The almost two-week gap between the Central and Madison County games did not stop the Mustangs from continuing their winning streak. The two additional wins on the road this week improves Mason’s record to 5-0.
“I think having back-to-back games to start this week, following a spring break hiatus, will be a good test of fitness for the team as well,” said head coach Jennifer Parsons ahead of this week’s games.
By the 60-minute mark, the Mustangs had already scored nine goals against Madison County. As a result, the game ended 20 minutes early per the “slaughter rule,” which states that a team with at least an eight-goal differential over its opponent is declared the winner after 60 minutes of play.
Sophomore forward/midfielder Rebecca Crouch led the Mustangs against the Mountaineers with three goals and one assist. Junior midfielder Kate Mills and freshman forward/midfielder Isabella Armstrong each scored two goals. Forward/midfielders Corinne Carson, junior, and Ava Roth, senior, added one goal apiece.
The Mustangs continued the momentum the following day in an 8-0 defeat over Manassas Park. Mason scored all eight goals in the first half, which put the slaughter rule into effect after 60 minutes. Roth and senior defense Jessica Gemond led with two goals each. Carson, Crouch, Mills and sophomore forward/midfielder Meghan Butler each contributed one goal.
The team’s leadership and experience drives the players to defend their state championship title. Mason returned 14 players from last year’s state championship team, and 10 of them have experienced two state championships, which Parsons said is a tremendous amount of experience to have in a group.
Mason has collectively scored 35 goals in the past five games. Clarke County High School is the only team to break through the Mustangs’ defense this season. The two teams faced each other late last month in what was Mason’s lowest scoring game. The Mustangs won 2-1 but have won all other games by at least eight goals.
“It is a good reminder that every team is beatable, and that we are the team that everyone else is looking to upset,” said Parsons. “The girls have responded very well, in both practices and our games since then, and it has helped us to improve and grow.”
As the Mustangs look forward to playing Rappahannock County High School at home tomorrow night, they remained very motivated. “We are always focused on playing quickly, keeping possession of the ball and working hard for each other off of the ball,” said Parsons. “We want to continue to create good goal scoring opportunities, and increasing the number of times that we convert those opportunities into goals.”
