Girls soccer hosted Catholic High School from Virginia Beach on March 19 – the first time the program has ever hosted another Catholic high school. It was the second-ever meeting between the two teams; the Lady Saints won the inaugural meeting last March 4-1 in Virginia Beach.
Father Ian VanHeusen led both teams in prayer at midfield prior to the start of the match to mark the special occasion between the two schools.
The CHS Crusaders repaid the Saints with a 2-1 victory over the home team. CHS got on the scoreboard first with a goal in the first 10 minutes of play. The Saints evened the match just before halftime with a breakaway goal by freshman Emma Claire Smith.
The Crusaders scored a second goal, again in the first ten minutes of the second half, off of a stolen pass from one of the Saints defenders. The two teams played the next 30 minutes trading multiple shots but neither were able to get another ball in the back of the net.
JPII parents and staff hosted a dinner for both teams after the game. Players, coaches, and parents enjoyed an hour of fellowship and laughs after the hard-fought match.
The Lady Saints hope to make a return trip to Virginia Beach next spring to continue this budding rivalry between sister Catholic high schools.
