Two days after Meridian High School’s boys’ lacrosse team captured the Region 4B championship with an exciting 10-8 victory over Western Albemarle, it was the boys’ soccer team’s turn to take to the same field with the same goal in mind. Playing host to William Monroe, not only was the Region 3B trophy in the balance, but the right to host the first game of the State Tournament early next week.
The Mustangs would leave zero doubt in this one. They scored twice in the first three minutes and Fletcher Saaty, who contributed to all five of Meridian’s tallies in Tuesday night’s Regional Semifinal victory over Brentsville, had four goals. That included a natural hat trick spanning the second through fourth goals of the first half after Zach Miller opened the scoring, allowing Meridian to take a commanding 4-0 lead into the intermission. Amin Shams, who assisted on Miller’s goal, then found the back of the net about five minutes into the second half, and Saaty added his fourth for some extra insurance just past the midway point of the period. The 6-0 score would hold up as final, and the Mustang bench emptied as players joined their teammates in a group celebration.
The victory further validates what has been an impressive return to standard for Meridian this season. After winning the State Championship two seasons ago, the Mustangs struggled to a 9-9 record following a mass departure of seniors, and did not qualify for States to defend their title. This year, they’re once again locked and loaded with a veteran group, as the win improves them to 14-2-2 on the season. They have not lost in more than two months, ever since a 2-1 defeat on April 3rd to Alexandria City.
“These guys, they’re always saying we need to lock in,” head coach Nathan Greiner commented postgame. “And tonight we locked in. We played maybe our most complete game all season long… it was a total team win.”
Greiner also made it a point to mention that the Mustangs aren’t satisfied just yet, and for good reason – they have another trophy to set their sights on. The date and opponent for Meridian’s State Quarterfinals matchup remain to be determined.
