While the outcome of the game was never in question, the girls soccer match between Battlefield and Culpeper was able to provide a few insights about the particular strengths and weaknesses of each team as they gear up for intensive district play.

Led by a hat-trick from Tessa Klumpp and three assists from Sahar Aflaki, the defending state runner-up Bobcats routed the Blue Devilettes 8-0 last Friday in Haymarket. Culpeper (0-6 overall) consistently had a tough time penetrating the Battlefield (6-2-1) defensive wall provided by Abby Lee, Sammie Trone and Lexie Jones.

On the attack, the Bobcats sped past their opposition to keep constant pressure on Culpeper junior goalkeeper Hillary Carter to the tune of 10 shots on goal.

Trone and junior forward Emily Heston connected with Klumpp for two first-half goals that put the game out of reach for Culpeper well before officials called the game during the second half. Cedar Run District games must be ended when one team has a lead of eight or more goals inside the last 20 minutes.

Midfielder Aly Shaughnessy earned two goals, including the game's opening score 26 seconds into the first half. Aflaki (1 goal, 3 assists), Dominique Evans (1 goal, 2 assists), and Morgan Alessi each made their way onto the scoreboard once too.

"Well I would say, you know, offensively, we want to be able to keep possession and... by getting them to move side to side, you're creating gaps, and that [gives] us opportunities to get through," said Battlefield head coach Kevin Hilton.

Klumpp, sporting a black brace over her left knee, used persistence to knock in her third goal by kicking in her own rebound on a shot that hit the top iron crossbar and bounced back right in front of her.

"It just kind of happened. I wanted to get my hat trick and my momentum was kind of carrying me forward and the ball was still there, so...," said Klumpp, trailing off the end of her sentence.

Hilton explained that Klumpp did a good job following her shot because "her job wasn't done."

Though Hilton declined to speculate about his team's ability to make it back to the state championship a year after losing six starters to graduation, he said he wants his team to focus more on short-term goals like repeating as district champs.

"That's a long ways away. You know, I'm not even thinking about that," he said of states. "Our goals coming into this year were to win district and we want to be able to win regionals. We'll worry about states when we get there."

What is truly remarkable for Battlefield is how skilled the team is once again, this time without any seniors. Team leaders like juniors Aflaki and Katie Ostrovecky still have another year left while rising stars such as sophomores Klumpp and Evans, who were on the 2008 team that made it to the state finals, may be around for years to come.

"I mean, we're young, but it's like an experienced team. So I wouldn't say that we're being thrown to the wolves this year because most of these girls that are sophomores played a lot last year as freshmen," said Hilton.

As for Culpeper, goal keeper Carter clearly established herself as an on-field leader while facing Battlefield.

"Come on! Step up!" Carter shouted to her teammates at the 25:20 mark in the second half.
"You play it 'til the ref tells you to stop!" she followed up minutes later when a ball that stopped rolling at a corner poll.

"I think she does a good job in talking and it is for people to listen to her. So we have to train the team to be able to listen to her," said Culpeper coach Erick Kalenga.

Carter noted most girls on the team do not have varsity experience yet "they've really stepped it up and put a lot of their heart into the game."

The third-year coach Kalenga is relying on cohesiveness to eventually fuel his team in a year where Culpeper County High School lost a sizeable chunk of its student base to the new county high school Eastern View. He and Carter individually singled out senior Francesca Gusteazoro one of the main defensive players leading by example. Kalenga also mentioned that adding Courtney Daymude as a sweeper and freshman Brook Malloy getting starting time is allowing the defense to hold its opposition "very well."

"My defense, defensively, played the best game against a team that's very fast," he said, adding, "The score could have been worse than what it was."

According to Carter, what needs to click offensively is ball movement.

"I think really we need to concentrate [on] keeping moving as a team and when we move as a team, having more people up there and getting our passes because we have a great passing team," she said. "And once we can get the passing game started, we can throw off any defense."