After a disappointing runner-up finish in conference-tournament action, the Bishop O’Connell Knights bounced back.
The girls high-school team and second seed ended its season by winning the four-team Northern Virginia Independent Schools State Invitational with a 2-0 record.
O’Connell (16-2-3) blanked the top seed and host St. Paul VI Catholic Panthers, 3-0, in the Nov. 7 title match. In the semifinals at O’Connell, the Knights shut out the No. 3 seed and defending champion Potomac School Panthers, 2-0.
The state title was O’Connell’s third overall, all in the last four years, since the competition started in 2017. The Knights were second last fall.
Just prior to the state tournament, O’Connell lost 1-0 to Paul VI in the championship match of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) tourney.
“We did a better job of passing and moving than in the WCAC final,” O’Connell coach Albreto Starace said. “We were dejected after that loss. So this is a good way to end our season. We beat two good teams to win the state.”
Starace credited Paul VI for having a good defensive strategy in the WCAC final, clogging the middle of the field and not allowing sophomore midfielder Audrey McKeen to score. McKeen finished the season with a single-season school record 37 goals and was chosen the WCAC’s Player of the Year.
McKeen was moved from the middle of the field to the left wing on offense and broke through in the state final, scoring on a second-half penalty shot and assisting on a goal by Molly Kinsella earlier in that half. McKeen also got off some other shots on goal.
“Audrey is a special player and a gifted athlete, and she played some great balls in the [state] final,” Starace said.
Molly Clark dribbled around a defender then scored on a crossing shot to give O’Connell a 1-0 halftime lead. Clark scored 15 goals this season and Kinsella 14.
Paul VI had few scoring opportunities in the state final. “Our defense was strong all season,” Starace said.
Bridget Prophett, Meeghan Zonavetch, Ryana Dill, Alex Carter, Emmy Hart, Rachael Zonavetch, Molly Kinsella, Mary Boniface, Annelise Baldwin, Alex DuRoss, Arden McEldowney, Sadie Smith, Emmy Hart and Lyla Kelly were defenders in front of goalies Izzy Gorkowski and Mia Morrill.
The Knights had 13 shutouts this fall and allowed just 11 goals, scoring 85. One of those shutouts was 5-0 over Paul VI in the one regular-season match between the Catholic-school rivals.
In the 2-0 shutout of Potomac School in the state-semifinal match, McKeen scored on a hard shot in front that deflected off the goalie’s hands for a 1-0 lead, then Clark scored on a crossing pass from Boniface.
Seniors Jessica Knisley, Mia Kucey and Nora Bruen were other contributing players for O’Connell this season.
While WCAC and the Independent School League play girls soccer in the fall, other independent-school leagues and Virginia’s public schools compete in the spring.
NOTES: Starace has been O’Connell’s coach for 39 seasons and has 542 wins with the Knights. His teams have played in 24 WCAC tournament finals, with 10 championships. He also won 129 games as the head coach at Madison High School in Vienna years ago, giving him 671 career victories as a high-school coach . . . McKeen scored 23 goals as a freshman, giving her 60 in two seasons.
