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HENRICO — The Class 5 girls soccer state championship will run through Virginia Beach.
Not literally, of course. The game will be played Saturday at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico, but both teams vying for the title are from the Beach District: First Colonial and Kellam.
The Knights and Patriots have been the top two teams all year in the 757Teamz Top 15 poll. They have played twice already this season, with the first match ending in a draw and the second ending in a First Colonial win.
Round three will have a state title on the line.
“It’s gonna be a battle in the heat,” Kellam head coach Mario Hurdle said.
The Patriots’ win Friday sends them to the state championship game for the third time in four years. First Colonial was in control for a majority of the game, but Midlothian made itn interesting with a late push.
“A little too close for comfort there,” coach Joe Tucei said. “But everybody is good now, (Midlothian) was 20-0. We knew it was going to be a good, hard-fought game.”
Per usual, the Miller twins — seniors Sydney and Skylar — played a key role in First Colonial’s success.
“They come up big,” Tucei said. “That’s what they do.”
Skylar, who was recently named the Class 5 Region A Player of the Year, got the Patriots on the board early with a goal four minutes into the game.
Midlothian responded with 18 minutes left in the first half after Keelyn Eslinger gathered a rebound and tapped the ball into the back of the net, tying it at 1.
Sydney Miller, a Class 5 Region A first-team player in her own right, got First Colonial back on top with 11 minutes left in the first half. The goal gave the Patriots a 2-1 lead going into the break.
Another goal from Sydney Miller with 29 minutes left in the game gave the Patriots a 3-1 lead, and it appeared the rest of the game would be a cakewalk.
“Playing with my teammates, working off each other’s energy levels, was really working for me,” Sydney Miller said. “It’s our last season; we’re trying to go out with full effort. We know it could be our last game, but we’re not gonna let it be our last game, so we’re all giving 150% while we’re out there.”
Midlothian didn’t go quietly, though, turning up its aggressiveness on both sides of the ball toward the end of the second half. Lexi Dinora scored for the Trojans with 10 minutes left to give Midlothian’s comeback some legs, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.
With the shutout Friday, Kellam eliminated the reigning Class 5 state champions and also handed Independence, from Ashburn, its first loss since April 17, 2023. It will be Kellam’s first appearance in a state title game since losing to Yorktown in the Class 6 state final in 2022.
The game was a war of attrition, with neither team taking a clear advantage for most of the action.
“I’m worn out,” Hurdle joked after the game. “Worth it, though. Good win, big win.”
Lauren Croley scored for Kellam with 20 minutes left in the first half. The Knights had a few more chances to add to the score, but failed to do so. Hurdle said there’s an emphasis on finishing opportunities for his squad heading into the title game.
“There’s no secret,” Hurdle said. “You got to execute the little things and play your butt off defensively. Deny their opportunities and finish ours.”
Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com
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