North Cross netted three first-half goals and their defense pitched the shutout as the Raiders blanked visiting Norfolk Christian 3-0 in a VISSA girls soccer state quarterfinal matchup at Thomas Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The Raider offense kept the pressure on most of the afternoon, helping North Cross goalkeeper Katie Sayers blank the Ambassadors.
North Cross got on the scoreboard midway through the first half when senior Paxton Helmer gathered the ball in front of the Norfolk Christian goal and found the back of the net for a 1-0 Raider lead.
Seven minutes later, it was 2-0 North Cross as freshman Shaida Campbell put the ball in the twine after a shot from the left side. Sophomore Sarah Maurer gave North Cross all the insurance they would need with 8 1/2 minutes left in the opening half when she planted a score past Ambassador senior goalie Rachel Bondi.
North Cross now moves on to play Eastern Mennonite Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. at Richmond’s Ukrop Park. Eastern Mennonite defeated Highland School 1-0 Wednesday afternoon in a game that started on Tuesday, but had to be put on hold due to severe storms in the Harrisonburg area forcing officials to stop play.
The Raiders-Flames matchup should be a dandy.
North Cross defeated Eastern Mennonite in Harrisonburg on April 22 by the score of 3-2 in a game that saw the Raiders take a 1-0 lead to the halftime break before the teams each traded two goals in the second half.
The Flames returned the favor last week when they handed North Cross their only loss of the season in a 2-1 win in the Blue Ridge Conference championship.
The Raiders’ win Tuesday moved head coach James Brown’s squad one step closer to a potential berth in the state championship game. Last year, North Cross was upset in the state quarterfinals, bringing their season to an end.
Bill Turner
