TCIS girls soccer: Two goals by Morris lift Norfolk Academy to title

By BRIAN J. FRENCH

Special to the Virginian-Pilot  NORFOLK

Soccer is often about being in the right place at the right time. Brittany Morris was there twice Saturday, and that’s why Norfolk Academy has another TCIS championship.

Morris’s two goals gave the homestanding Bulldogs a 2-0 win against Bishop Sullivan Catholic, their fourth straight tournament title and 10th in the last 13 years.

She headed in a loose ball in front of the Crusaders’ goal four minutes into the match, then put back a ball that bounced off Catholic goalkeeper Kate Osterman’s hands with around 20 minutes left in the second half.

“We were a little concerned; 1-0 isn’t enough against a really good team,” said Morris, named the tournament’s offensive most valuable player.

But after fighting a cold, strong wind in the first half, the Crusaders wore down late, and the regular-season champion Bulldogs (16-0-4) took advantage for their 13th straight win after a 0-0 tie against Ocean Lakes on April 1.

Bishop Sullivan, the No. 3 seed, lost despite a stellar performance from the freshman goalkeeper Osterman, who made a number of saves from close range to keep the Crusaders (17-4) within shouting distance.

“She’s awesome,” Bishop Sullivan coach Ed Mazzanti said. “I lost track of how many saves she had, (but) each one was athletic.”

Her counterpart, Kendall Bourdon, finished the tournament without allowing a goal and was named the defensive MVP.

“The defenders in front of me make my job easy,” she said.

Both teams will advance to the VISSA state playoffs this week, though their opening opponents won’t be determined until Monday. Two-time defending state champion Norfolk Academy was first in the Division I poll heading into Saturday’s match, while Bishop Sullivan was fourth in the Division II poll.

Editor's note: The Norfolk Academy girls soccer team will be the subject of this week's Team Spotlight on 757teamz.com. Look for the story Monday morning.