W LEAGUE PIRANHAS BEAT FREDERICKSBURG ON 90TH MINUTE GOAL

Virginia Beach, Virginia – In a breakneck, end-to-end match that had four lead changes in the second half, the W League Piranhas found their form Saturday night, beating the Fredericksburg Impact 5-4 on a stoppage time goal by midfielder Steffi Goddard. Goddard added two other goals after the break to earn the Piranhas’ first hat-trick of the season, scoring all three in the final 45 minutes.
From the start of the game it was apparent that head coach Wendy Waddell and her team had used their two-week break wisely, showing some great combination play during the match. Over and over again the Piranhas midfield with linchpin Steffi Goddard found runners with dangerous through balls but attempts by newcomer Taylor Mertz in the 9th minute, midfielder Emily Kittleson three minutes later and forward Alyssa Wombwell in the 18th minute didn’t find the back of the net.
Two minutes later the Piranhas dominance paid off. Samantha Hare played a ball over the top of the Impact defense and found Kittleson who slipped the ball past Fredericksburg keeper Nikki Pond.
Although the Piranhas continued to dictate the game, they allowed the Impact to rebound. Thirty minutes into the game Impact forward Emily Perrin passed the ball to Kelsey Pardue, who was wide open at the edge of the box and placed the ball in the top right corner, leaving Victoria Johnson in the Piranhas goal with no chance.
The Red and White responded well, but in stoppage time at the end of the half, Impact midfielder Saeda Suki played a long ball to sub Laura Gaessar, who lobbed the ball over Johnson in the net. The first half ended 2-1.
Despite the score, Waddell’s team came out of the locker room with energy. Five minutes into the second half the Piranhas equalized as sub Megan Cozens crossed the ball in the box were Goddard volleyed the ball past Pond. Four minutes later Goddard scored again after a great solo-run and assist by Kittleson, restoring the Piranhas’ lead.
The delight of the Sportsplex crowd however was short-lived as the Impact leveled the game again two minutes later. After an assist by Kelsey Pardue, Laura Gaesser scored her second of the night.

After this fast paced start to the second half, both teams slowed down a little bit with the advantage still being on the side of Virginia Beach. In the 64th minute Kittleson ran past the Impact defense again, but Goddard was seconds too late to finish her cross. However it was again up to the Impact to take the lead. In the 75th minute Kara Blosser scored as she struck the ball from 45 yards out. Johnson got caught too far in front of her goal and couldn’t defend the high shot.
But the Piranhas wouldn’t lose tonight. Five minutes before the end of regulation, Mertz crossed the ball to the back post where LaQuinta Garrett, who had just entered the pitch, pushed the ball over the line.
The curtain on a crazy game was still not drawn. In stoppage time the two outstanding Piranhas player of the night Goddard and Kittleson, started a frenzy among Piranhas fans as they scored the ninth goal of the night and sealed the win for Virginia Beach. Kittleson played a through ball in the box and Goddard left keeper Pond watching as she blasted the ball in the net.
It would have fitted the ironic course of the game if the Impact would have equalized again, but as forward Emily Perrin dribbled past goalkeeper Johnson with seconds left in the game, midfielder Rachel Gerdin jumped in with a slide tackle to save the day. Virginia Beach had won the battle.
“I’m proud of my players! That was an awesome win. But games like this will make me old very quickly,” joked a very happy Waddell after the game. “We’ve come together as a team and our fitness level has improved a lot in the last few weeks. Tonight we wanted it more and deserved to win. I said that the first win would come once we get to know each other better, and now the wins will keep coming.”
Piranhas’ owner Marcie Laumann was elated. “I think the way the women came back in the second half and the fact that they didn’t give up tonight show the heart and soul of our team”, she said. “And a lot of credit for this win goes to our coaches Wendy and Chris for their hard work on and off the field to get the girls to come together as a team. This win tonight sets the tone for the rest of the season.”
For more information on the 2011 Virginia Beach Piranhas, including tickets, sponsorships or to volunteer, please visit http://www.vbpiranhas.com/ or call 757-572-1592.