The Salem Spartans and Hidden Valley Titans had already met four times this season, each matchup coming with increasing importance.
In the River Ridge District girls soccer championship, the Titans soundly defeated the Spartans 3-1. But in the Region IV title game, Salem got some revenge with a victory in penalty kicks.
It all made for some great drama heading into Friday evening at Radford High School, with a trip to the VHSL Group AA championship on the line.
The game didn’t disappoint.
Hidden Valley’s Paxton Sauerwald scored from 25-yards out with 32 seconds remaining in regulation to break a 1-1 tie and lift the Titans into the state title game for the first time since 2006.
“It was a lucky shot – a prayer, no doubt about it,” Hidden Valley Head Coach Will Krause said. “When it left her foot – she even admitted this to me later – we all thought the keeper had it. But it doesn’t really matter how it goes in.”
For the Spartans, Sauerwald’s miracle strike was a crushing blow to end the season. And though Salem posted a respectable 2-2-1 mark against the Titans in their five matchups, this loss might linger.
“We played well against them all season, but we just couldn’t get the one that mattered most,” Spartan Coach Josh Jones said.
Salem finishes with a record of 18-4-2, a terrific season that saw them repeat as Region IV champions and reach the Group AA Final Four for the second consecutive year.
“I’m really proud of our girls – they had a lot of reasons to quit this year, but they didn’t,” Jones said, citing several injuries suffered by key players during the season. “Other girls came in and stepped up and helped us make it back to the [state] semis. So in that regard, it was a neat year.”
Titans Overmatched in Final
After dispatching of Salem on Friday evening, Hidden Valley faced another group of Spartans on Saturday at Radford University.
Unfortunately, these Spartans were just too much to overcome.
Broad Run extended its unbeaten streak to 48 games in the 3-0 victory over the Titans to win the VHSL Group AA championship for the second season in a row.
“They were the better team – no shame in admitting that,” Titans Coach Will Krause said. “I told their coach after the game that they play beautiful soccer, and that they have a lot of talent.”
The Spartans have five players who will be suiting up for Division I programs in the fall.
Even so, Hidden Valley was able to keep the game close until letting in an untimely goal moments before the end of the first half to trail 2-0.
“That was certainly a tough goal to allow,” Krause said. “I kept thinking to myself that if we could get to the half only down 1-0, anything could happen.”
The Titans end their season at 20-3-2, with all of their losses and ties coming to Spartans – Salem and, of course, Broad Run.
“It’s been a tremendous season,” the first-year coach said. “I’m very proud of the girls, and even though we lost [in the finals], I think most of the parents and players were satisfied with how the season played out.”
