Girls Soccer

Overall Record: 3-1-1

District Record: 2-0

Goals For/Against: 12-11

Thursday March 26: Beat Madison County 5-1

Recap: Sophomore Violet Miller opened the scoring for Mason with a goal on an assist from freshman Leah Roth who would later cap Mason’s scoring with one of her own. Senior Kim Kenny netted the Mustangs’ second goal thanks to a helper from fellow senior Mayssa Chehata. Senior Abby Stroup followed with an unassisted goal before Kenny got back to work, hooking up with Miller for the sophomore’s second goal of the night. Senior Caitlin Sickler and junior Nicole Mitchell split time as goal keepers, only surrendering one Madison goal.
Coach Parsons: “It was a good game, Madison always play hard and very athletic. Obviously we have a lot of returners this season, which I think is a huge advantage for our team; we already have good chemistry established so we can build on that quickly over the season. We were successful when we went to goal with speed and when we played the ball quickly; we have some outstanding talent so when the girls played with a sense of urgency they made it very difficult for Madison.”
 “This team definitely has a lot on the line this year; it is a very challenging task to defend not only a State Title, but also a Regional and District title, so we are trying very much to stay focused on the individual games right now and to grow from each of those experiences. In the back of my mind I absolutely want to defend our titles this year and I definitely think we have the potential as a team to do it.”

Tuesday March 31: Beat Clarke County 4-0
Wednesday April 1: vs. Briar Woods
Tuesday April 14: vs. Rappahannock High

Girls Tennis

Overall Record: 7-0

Total Matches (Singles & Doubles) Won/Lost: 54-18

Wednesday March 25: Beat Freedom High 7-2

Recap: Mason dominated the singles category, winning five of the top six matches in addition to taking two of the three doubles matches. A pair of juniors, Kelsey Kane and Claire Sedmak, led the way for the Mustangs combining for four of the team’s wins. Kane won her singles match 8-0 in dominating fashion on top of a 9-7 victory alongside teammate Michelle Repper in her doubles match. Sedmak had a steady 8-5 singles win as well as an 8-6 doubles win with partner Tyler Morris, also a junior. First year player, Alexa Schaffer, a junior, earned her first career varsity win in singles play. Senior Isis Hanna and Morris won their singles matches as well, 8-4 and 8-3 respectively.

Friday March 27: Beat North Stafford 8-1

Recap: Despite being shorthanded, having to play without three of their top six, Mason did not miss a beat. All of the top six won their respective matches with ease. The team’s number one Kelsey Kane won 10-3 and Tyler Morris played extremely well in a fill-in roll in the two spot, winning 10-4. Junior Natalie Lesgourgues stepped into the number four spot filling in for Isis Hanna, and came through big-time. Lesgourgues dominated her match by a score of 10-0 and would come through again in the double competition. She teamed up with sophomore Aiste Azoriude to cruise to a 10-5 victory.
Coach Madison: “[The] team is playing extremely well and is poised for another run in the post season. With four returning starters from last year and two new additions in Claire Pribulka and Alexa Schaffer, the team is playing better than they ever have. The girls are working hard in practice each day to get better. The depth of this team ensures that practices will be competitive and challenging each day where players are constantly forced to improve, or get bumped by the next one in line.”

Tuesday April 14: vs. Dominion High

Boys Tennis

Overall Record: 5-0

Total Matches (Singles & Doubles) Won/Lost: 44-7

Wednesday March 25: Beat Freedom High 9-0

Recap: Mason made it a clean sweep of Freedom, winning all nine matches. Junior Tim Goetz and senior Brian Sham duked it out against Freedom’s top players and both came away with wins, 9-7 and 8-5 respectively. Senior Johnny Vroom had a convincing 8-1 win in the three spot while the backend of the top six- junior Thomas Burnett, senior Chris An and sophomore J. Rodock came through for Mason, winning their individual matches handily. Doubles pairs Goetz/Sham, Vroom/An and Burnett/Rodock all took care of business as well.

Tuesday April 14: @ Dominion High
Wednesday April 15:@ Potomac Falls High

Overall Record: 4-1

This Week: Defeated Park View; 20-0.

Key Offensive Players: Taylor Bottock: one goal, one assist. Elsa Schultz; two goals. Amanda Rolander; four goals, three assists. Courtney Ready; two goals. Chelsea Wilkes; one goal one assist. Joy Nystrom; one goal. Sally Blakemore; five goals, two assists. Gwen Edwards; four goals, one assist. Christina Perez; two goals, two assists.

Key Defensive Players: Katrina Snyder, Grace Kuipers, Chelsea Wilkes, Meghan Powell.

Highlight: During the game, Sally Blakemore attempted to assist a goal for MC Glover. The ball hit MC in the head and bounced directly off and into the goal. The goal was not counted however.

Upcoming Games: Home game against Dominion High School; Thursday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m.

The Boy’s Varsity Soccer team kept the ball rolling in their first District game on Tuesday, March 31, defeating the Clarke County Eagles.

The Mustangs came out strong, keeping the ball inside the Eagles’ territory for the majority of the first half, but they were unable to put the ball on frame and score. Ironically, right after the Mustang defense led an offensive attack, the Eagles punted the ball out to the fifty yard line where the Eagles’ forwards were able to get around the last Mustang defender and place the ball in the back of the net.

The first half ended with a score of 0-1. Nevertheless, “the bench stayed positive,” said Mustang second-string forward, Ismael Campero.

The Mustangs did not let up. Seven minutes into the second half the Mustangs received a free kick in their attacking third. Alex Casteuble crossed the ball to Nick Smirniotopoulos who dropped the ball back to Andrew Arias. Arias refused to hesitate, and despite having his view of the goal blocked by the Eagles’ defensive line, he volleyed the ball over the Eagles’ goal keeper. The ball dipped right under the cross bar and into the goal.

The Mustangs’ momentum continued when Smirniotopoulos brought the ball down the sideline, cut in towards the goal, and crossed the ball to Casteuble, who was eight yards out. Casteuble one-touched the ball, which curved around the goal keeper’s head and put the Mustangs in the lead.

The Mustangs picked up speed again and their defense refused to let the ball be played on their defensive half. With only sixteen minutes left, the Mustangs scored again after receiving a corner kick. Smirniotopoulos delivered the ball to Anthony Andrianarison, who headed the ball into the goal.

The Mustangs finished the game with a score 3-1. Mustang Assistant Coach Frank Spinello said, “The Mustangs showed great composure in the second half, playing with urgency rather than panic.”

The Boy’s Varsity Soccer team kept the ball rolling in their first District game on Tuesday, March 31, defeating the Clarke County Eagles.

The Mustangs came out strong, keeping the ball inside the Eagles’ territory for the majority of the first half, but they were unable to put the ball on frame and score. Ironically, right after the Mustang defense led an offensive attack, the Eagles punted the ball out to the fifty yard line where the Eagles’ forwards were able to get around the last Mustang defender and place the ball in the back of the net.

The first half ended with a score of 0-1. Nevertheless, “the bench stayed positive,” said Mustang second-string forward, Ismael Campero.

The Mustangs did not let up. Seven minutes into the second half the Mustangs received a free kick in their attacking third. Alex Casteuble crossed the ball to Nick Smirniotopoulos who dropped the ball back to Andrew Arias. Arias refused to hesitate, and despite having his view of the goal blocked by the Eagles’ defensive line, he volleyed the ball over the Eagles’ goal keeper. The ball dipped right under the cross bar and into the goal.

The Mustangs’ momentum continued when Smirniotopoulos brought the ball down the sideline, cut in towards the goal, and crossed the ball to Casteuble, who was eight yards out. Casteuble one-touched the ball, which curved around the goal keeper’s head and put the Mustangs in the lead.

The Mustangs picked up speed again and their defense refused to let the ball be played on their defensive half. With only sixteen minutes left, the Mustangs scored again after receiving a corner kick. Smirniotopoulos delivered the ball to Anthony Andrianarison, who headed the ball into the goal.

The Mustangs finished the game with a score 3-1. Mustang Assistant Coach Frank Spinello said, “The Mustangs showed great composure in the second half, playing with urgency rather than panic.”

After a long 90 minutes, the Mustang varsity soccer team suffered a close defeat at the feet of the JEB Stuart Raiders this past Monday, March 23.

The Mustangs began slow but kept composure on the field, preventing the Raiders from scoring for the first 25 minutes. However, at the 15 minute mark the Raiders broke the Mustang defense, bringing the ball down the sideline and nut-megging Mustang goal keeper Tyler Back. 

Although the Mustangs created a few goal scoring opportunities, sending long balls over the Raider’s defense to forwards Nick Smirniotopoulos and Eric Nelson, the Mustangs were unable to land a shot before the end of the first half.

The first half ended with a score of 0-1.

The Mustangs were scored on again after a strong cross from one Raider forward to another in the Mustang’s box. Nonetheless, the Mustangs bounced back in the last 10 minutes when Teddy Rueckert was subbed into the game.  Smirniotopoulos intercepted a throw-in from the Raiders, crossing the ball into the box to Rueckert. Rueckert made a strong shot, deflecting off of Nelson and finally making its way into the back of the net.  

Rueckert increased the speed of the game, pressuring the Raider defense to give up the ball, and created more goal scoring opportunities for the Mustangs. The Raiders bunkered in to stem the tide of the Mustang offensive onslaught generated by Rueckert. The Mustangs were able to keep the ball in the Raider’s box and take multiple shots, some of which hit the top goal post and others bouncing off of the Raider’s defense.  

Although the Mustangs dominated the last 10 minutes of the game, they were unable to come away with a positive result.

The game ended with a score of 1-2.

After a long 90 minutes, the Mustang varsity soccer team suffered a close defeat at the feet of the JEB Stuart Raiders this past Monday, March 23.

The Mustangs began slow but kept composure on the field, preventing the Raiders from scoring for the first 25 minutes. However, at the 15 minute mark the Raiders broke the Mustang defense, bringing the ball down the sideline and nut-megging Mustang goal keeper Tyler Back. 

Although the Mustangs created a few goal scoring opportunities, sending long balls over the Raider’s defense to forwards Nick Smirniotopoulos and Eric Nelson, the Mustangs were unable to land a shot before the end of the first half.

The first half ended with a score of 0-1.

The Mustangs were scored on again after a strong cross from one Raider forward to another in the Mustang’s box. Nonetheless, the Mustangs bounced back in the last 10 minutes when Teddy Rueckert was subbed into the game.  Smirniotopoulos intercepted a throw-in from the Raiders, crossing the ball into the box to Rueckert. Rueckert made a strong shot, deflecting off of Nelson and finally making its way into the back of the net.  

Rueckert increased the speed of the game, pressuring the Raider defense to give up the ball, and created more goal scoring opportunities for the Mustangs. The Raiders bunkered in to stem the tide of the Mustang offensive onslaught generated by Rueckert. The Mustangs were able to keep the ball in the Raider’s box and take multiple shots, some of which hit the top goal post and others bouncing off of the Raider’s defense.  

Although the Mustangs dominated the last 10 minutes of the game, they were unable to come away with a positive result.

The game ended with a score of 1-2.

Overall Record: 3-1

Last Week: Beat Washington & Lee High School; 11-10. Beat Park View High School; 19-0.

This Week: Defeated Eastern View High School; 12-7.

Key Players: Abby Johansen; four goals, four assists. Sally Blakemore; six goals, four assists, three groundballs. Amanda Rolander; one goal, four groundballs. Gwen Edwards; one goal, four groundballs. Chelsea Wilkes; four draw controls.

Upcoming Games: Home game against Park View High School; March 30, at 6:00. Away game versus Dominion High School, April 2 at 7:30 pm.