Photo: Sophomore Natalia Tweddle(#14) battles for possession. (Photo by Dinos Simcox)

The Mustangs kept their undefeated record alive with a grueling 2-0 victory over the Hayfield Hawks on Thursday, Oct 1. Meridian is now a perfect 12-0, sitting atop the district standings with six games to go in the regular season.

Meridian’s contest against Hayfield was their third game this week. The Mustangs picked up a close 4-3 win over McLean on Monday, Sep 28, as well as stretching their legs with a dominant 6-0 win over Liberty on Tuesday, Sep 29. While Hayfield did not sport a record as impressive as Meridian’s, the Hawks are considered a premier team in the region.

The Mustangs got off to a strong start, with junior Megan Fitzgerald getting a shot past the Hayfield goalie just two minutes into the game, giving the Mustangs a crucial early lead. 

For the next two-and-a-half periods, the contest was deadlocked, with both teams being unable to capitalize on the opportunities they had. Notably, the Mustangs defense came up with an incredible stand when Hayfield was given a short corner with mere moments left in the third period, keeping their 1-0 lead intact.

Head coach Anne Steenhoek reflected on the offense’s struggles in the middle of the game.

“We hit a bit of a lull. I only have one timeout, so it’s hard to know when to use it and pick the team up. I called the [players] out individually, helped them out, and encouraged them,” coach Steenhoek said.

Then, five minutes into the fourth and final period, sophomore Lenea Paradiso put the Mustangs up 2-0 with an important insurance goal. Meridian was able to ride the momentum of that score to the final whistle and continue their perfect season.

“The team definitely felt a lot better after that second goal,” coach Steenhoek said.

With six games left in the season, and just three of those games against district opponents, the Mustangs are now the clear favorites to end the regular season as the top seed in the district. Their final tests will be against Kettle Run and Fauquier, who are the other two teams vying for the top spot. While the Mustangs have already beaten both squads earlier in the year, they will have to do it again if they want to ensure their #1 seed in the district. 

The Mustangs have some time before those contests, as their next game is against the Lightridge Lightning, a formidable opponent boasting an 8-4 record. The Mustangs will be on the road for that game on Monday, Oct 5.