Grove, Wann drive Titans past Indians

Joy Grove and Becca Wann combined for four goals and three assists Thursday night as they picked up a 6-0 win over Powhatan in the second game of the Central Region College Showcase girls’ soccer tournament at Cosby High School.

Published: March 13, 2009

By Sara Page, Midlothian Exchange

sports@midlothianexchange.com

Joy Grove and Becca Wann combined for four goals and three assists Thursday night as they picked up a 6-0 win over Powhatan in the second game of the Central Region College Showcase girls’ soccer tournament at Cosby High School.

Grove opened scoring in the fifth minute as she took a feed from Courtney Hook straight down the center and fired off a point-blank shot for a 1-0 lead. The Lady Titans would get more opportunities in the half but a stiff defensive effort anchored by senior Ataya Harrison combined with great goal keeping by Mandy Stowers kept Powhatan in the game.

Stowers showed good awareness of her lines late in the half when Cosby’s Lindsay Carnes crossed to Hook. Hook sent a shot to the net, and Stowers came up with the diving save just fractions of an inch from the goal line.

Cosby rattled off a bunch of shots near the end of the first half including a high header from Becca Wann, who only the day before wrapped up the basketball season.

“Becca Wann came back tonight after maybe 23 minutes rest,” Cosby head coach Anne Canipe joked after the game. “She came in this morning and first thing she said is ‘Can I play? I’m ready to play.’”

Wann wouldn’t be denied for long. The junior midfielder redirected a high bounce toward the goal, and Grove popped it in the goal in the 45th minute. Four minutes later, Wann found the hole herself off a feed from Grove.

Wann took to the air all evening, getting heads above the competition. She picked up her second goal of the evening in the 72nd minute off a kick from 20 yards out by Kelsey Powell. The shot went high but Wann leapt in the air, split the defense and sent a low header into the net.

“Becca Wann, she’s just amazing,” Powhatan head coach Pam Spotts said. “She put a clinic on. That [our girls] were willing to go out and challenge her, I give them a lot of credit for that because she’s a strong young lady and very skilled.”

Grove came out of the game midway through the second half with two goals and one assist. The sophomore midfielder helped keep the ball in Cosby’s scoring end all evening.

“Joy Grove played tremendous tonight,” Canipe said. “She was like the quarterback. She fed the ball, she got through holes, she found the right spot, made some good shots … All the girls just have been working real hard since the last week in February. They’ve got a lot of goals set for themselves. They get along very well, and I think they played really well tonight.”

Rounding out scoring for the Lady Titans was Kaitlyn Robinson off an assist from Katie Minczuk in the 58th minute and Carns off an assist from Wann in the 75th minute. Wann finished with two goals and two assists. Goalie Cameron Bloom recorded six saves while Stowers had 11 for Powhatan.

The Lady Titans’ second game of the tournament was postponed Friday night due to inclement weather.