Posted on 16 May 2009 by .
By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Editor
Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area
*Click the links above for complete video and photo galleries from the game!*
Spartan coach J.T. Alukonis doesn’t need any reminders of the program’s historic success, they’re nailed — literally — to his workplace.
Five state championships — which equal Robinson for the VHSL all-time best — are posted in black lettering on the front entrance of West Springfield.
Fortunately, though, the first-year coach drives into the school on the north side of Rolling Road.
“I’m lucky with the way I turn into the parking lot,” he said “We’ve got three or four state championships up on the front of the school. I turn in a different way, so I don’t have to see that everyday.”
With him at the helm, though, maybe those reminders might grow more-friendly, as the Spartan tradition shows no signs of diminishing.
Fourth-ranked West Springfield won its third-consecutive Patriot District championship on Friday night, beating South County, 1-0, at Lake Braddock.
“Every day, there’s somebody — whether it’s going down to the athletic office and seeing the plaques and district championships, whether it’s the girls reminding me or somebody else reminding me,” said Alukonis, who accepted the job in November. “It’s an honor, really, to be able to coach team that’s been so successful in the past and into now.”
Added Spartan captain Jessie Gonzalez: “[It’s] legacy. We get along really well as a team. I think that helps a lot with how we play on the field. It was our goal at the beginning of the season to win districts, and we did it.
“Now it’s to go past the second round of regionals.”
While a berth in the Northern Region semifinals as a specific objective may appear a long shot, those seem to be Gonzalez’s specialty.
The senior midfielder sent a free kick 41 yards into the top shelf of the goal — her 13th of the season and the game’s only score — in the 33rd minute.
And, according to Alukonis, she scored in very similar fashion in the first meeting between the teams on April 22.
“Jessie knows that, pretty much anywhere on the field, if she thinks she has a look at goal, then go ahead can take it,” Alukonis said. “When she’s serving a ball into the box — whether it’s on goal, she’s shooting on goal or hitting something for someone to run onto — I couldn’t tell you if she was trying to score.
“I’ll take it either way … With Jessie Gonzalez, nothing shocks me anymore. She’s a heck of a player.”
Admitted Gonzalez, with a laugh: “I was going for goal, but I was going back post. I hit it a little harder than I thought I was going to. But it feels good.”
Friday night’s district final win was a far cry from the first meeting between West Springfield and South County.
At that point in the year, the Stallions had allowed one goal in their previous five games — three wins and two ties — and stood a half-game behind the Spartans for first place in the Patriot District.
But West Springfield traveled to Lorton and thumped South County, 8-0, getting two goals from district player of the year Amalya Clayton, two from Rachel Mares, two from Julia Stejskal and two from Gonzalez.
“They had a lot to prove this game, South County did,” said Alukonis, whose team has outscored opponents 49-4 this season. “They wanted to come out and show what happened last time wasn’t their real team. The first time we played them, they were a little bit off and, frankly, we had the best game of our season.”
Added Gonzalez, a club player for SYC Speed ’91: “Coming from an 8-0 win and then not scoring for 30 minutes was really frustrating.”
That midseason win was also the seventh of what proved to be nine consecutive shutouts. The Spartans have 13 overall this year.
While first-team all-district goalkeeper Beth Anne Nowak has spent a good portion of those patrolling the defensive third of the field in boredom, she was called on several times on Friday.
She stopped a one-on-one scoring chance by Stallion forward Liz Hodges in 38th minute and followed with a diving stop on a free kick by Alex Reed in the 48th.
“We haven’t asked for a whole lot this season — she had a game, I believe, this Wednesday night where she touched the ball twice,” said Alukonis of Nowak, who is committed to Indiana Wesleyan. “We know that when we need her, she’s going to be there. And she made the saves we expect from her. I see it everyday in practice.
“Even if she doesn’t get to do it in a game, I know she can do it. She’s a tremendous goalkeeper.”
Added Nowak, the starting keeper for all three district titles: “It’s just doing my job. The saves feel great. Don’t get me wrong: I love being part of the game — actually, I like when I don’t have to be part of the game, we can win and I don’t have to be a part of the game.
“But, tonight, I feel like I was out there for a purpose. South County is a quality team — all get-out to Alex Reed and Morgan Duffy. It felt great to be a part of this.”
Click HERE for Northern Region Tournament brackets!
Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com
South County 0 0 — 0
West Springfield 1 0 — 1
Goals:
WS — Gonzalez (33, FK)
Processing your request, Please wait....
