The Meridian High School boys’ soccer team was at home again on Tuesday night for some more postseason action, taking on the Northwest District rival Brentsville Tigers for a second time in two weeks in the Regional Semifinals. On May 20th, Meridian played Brentsville to a 3-3 draw on the road, but with a trip to the State Tournament in the balance, only a win would be good enough this time around.
The Mustangs came out firing early, and Henry Brown opened the scoring just shy of ten minutes in on a feed from Fletcher Saaty. Only two minutes later, the two forwards reversed roles as it was Saaty finding the back of the net with Brown providing the assist. Brentsville made a push just prior to halftime but Addison Turner held serve in net, and the home team took the 2-0 lead into the break.
Meridian was able to recapture its aggression when play resumed, and Quinn Drennan extended the advantage to 3-0 early in the frame. Brown then earned his second of the night midway through the period, and in the closing stages, Saaty – who had additionally assisted on both prior goals – sent a free kick through a sea of defenders into the net to record his fifth point of the contest. The 5-0 score would hold up as final, with Meridian improving to 13-2-2 on the year, and more importantly advancing to play in the Regional Finals later this week while additionally securing a bid to States.
The Mustangs will host William Monroe in said Regional Finals game on Thursday night. If they win that, they will also earn a home game for the State Quarterfinals next week.
