VIRGINIA BEACH — Great Bridge and Cox punched their tickets to the Class 5 boys soccer state tournament on Wednesday night with dramatic victories. The No. 1 seed Wildcats defeated the No.
5 seed Kellam, outlasting the Knights 10-9 in penalty kicks after the game ended in a 1-1 tie. The No. 2 Falcons beat No.
3 Patriots 1-0 in the other semifinal. Great Bridge and Cox will face each other in the Class 5 Region B championship game on Friday night. It took everything the Wildcats had to knock last year’s class 6 state champions out on Wednesday night.
Kellam and Great Bridge both scored early in the first half, but struggled to find the back of the net for the remainder of the game. Defense ultimately prevailed in the game as both teams were kept scoreless through two overtime periods and two golden-goal periods – sending the game to penalty kicks. After nine penalty kicks, both Kellam and Great Bridge had made every shot.
Aidan Taylor made the 10th penalty kick for the Wildcats, leaving the game up to his goalkeeper Griffin Thomas, who stopped Kellam’s 10th attempt — ending the game. “It’s indescribable,” Thomas said. “My heart, my nerves have never been that bad in my entire soccer career.
But I have full trust in all my teammates to make their (penalty kicks), which we went 10 for 10 and all I had to do was save one. I’m glad I could put up for them.” FINAL (PK) | Great Bridge 1, Kellam 1 Great Bridge outscores Kellam 10-9 in penalty kicks to secure the.
