Freshman Lexi Vosburg didn’t actually have to score another goal. But to be honest, she wasn’t really thinking about herself.
The Chesapeake attack didn’t glance at the clock, or scoreboard, but she knew — an insurmountable lead with less than a minute left. This Saturday evening clash with Leonardtown wasn’t supposed to be a blowout, but that’s how it unfolded.
Vosburg had already garnered most of the team’s draw controls and four goals — a highlight but not a standalone, as most of her teammates shared similar achievements in one category or another. It’s the exact thing for which coach Kaitlyn Hines lavished praise on the Cougars after it was over.
So, Vosburg flicked the ball in the goal in with ease and let the clock run down to the 13-3 final as her teammates flooded around her.
Selflessness fled Chesapeake (9-1) for some time this season, as much as Hines wanted it to be different. But on Saturday, knowing how difficult a game Leonardtown was supposed to give them, ego exited instead.
“Everyone was doing what they needed to do out there, and doing it for the person next to them,” Hines said. “Just working hard. It was incredible to see.”
Offense set the trend. Hines marveled at the passes, the communication and the reaction when mistakes were made. But it was nothing compared to the pride she showed in the defense.
Brielle Redmond got Leonardtown (4-4) started early. The freshman levied her own draw and then a turnover for two goals in under two minutes. Offensively, Chesapeake caught up, but Leonardtown had the edge on 50-50 balls.
But by the end of the first quarter, that changed. Cougars defenders rid the passive gene from their DNA and harassed Raiders like wasps to sweets. What wasn’t turned over or intercepted was scooped up by the likes of Austin McFarland, Lillian Patrick and Kelsie Payne and often turned into goals.
“Coming up with those ground balls, with those slides, those stops, I haven’t seen them play this well together the entire season,” Hines said. “So I’m glad it’s coming together now for us as we enter counties and playoffs.”
It helped, too, to have Vosburg snatching up even more draw controls than she did goals.
“For us in [an overtime win over ] Annapolis, her draws was a huge game-changer. And she had nine today,” Hines said.
Anna Kunes’ hat trick helped the Cougars pull out of sight to a 10-3 lead in the third quarter. But Leonardtown wasn’t surrendering. Raiders forced turnovers, plucked as many loose balls as they could and most importantly, fired them at the goal. But that’s when they met Eva Bombard.
The sophomore goalkeeper gobbled up 10 Leonardtown shots, including three-straight at the end of the third that kept it a seven-point barricade rather than the Raiders chipping away.
But as the fourth quarter dwindled without much change, Hines didn’t lift her foot from the pedal. She wanted to see what her offense had become.
She watched Bombard flash passes to defenders, who relayed to midfielders, who cleared to the offense. Passes flew around as Leonardtown chased haplessly.
“And I think our assists looked really good, too,” Vosburg said. “Typically, we didn’t look for 1v1s. If we made a mistake, we backed each other up and cheered each other on.”
The Cougars know the worst stretch of the spring awaits them, beginning with the county championship showcase in less than two weeks. If Saturday’s performance can last another month, they don’t see much disappointment laying ahead.
“I think we’re gonna keep pushing and going as hard as we can,” Vosburg said. “We’re going to do whatever we can to be prepared.”
Leonardtown — 3 0 0 0 — 3
Chesapeake — 4 3 3 3 – 13
Goals: CH — Vosburg 5, Kunes 3, Payne 2, Patrick 2, McFarland 1; LT — Redmond 2, Burks. Assists: CH — Bowman 1, Ansted 1, Warrilow 1, Lawrence 1. Saves: CH — Bombard 10; LT — 3