Last-minute switch gives teammates bittersweet night

NEWPORT NEWS

The reward for Ocean Lakes' Rebecca Gold and Landstown's Marie Claire Quilon for being named all-stars was to scramble around and make acrobatic saves for 80 minutes.

As if that wasn't enough, they also had a penalty-kick shootout to contend with following regulation.

Gold's East team edged Quilon's West squad 5-4, 4-2 in penalty kicks, in Wednesday's Virginia High School Coaches Association girls soccer All-Star Game at Christopher Newport University.

"It's definitely a workout," said Gold, who was named the East's MVP. "I told myself before the shootout to just have fun. Either we win or lose... but it's fun to win."

Cox's Michele Clark, 1 of 3 coaches for the East, reiterated that point.

"It's a fun environment - it's fun for them to play all together," she said. "Not that this is not serious - you want to win. But you want to have fun."

But for Quilon and two other Landstown teammates - Katie Deppen and Natalie Massey - the game was bittersweet. That's because the East had two keepers on its roster and the West had none. And that meant either Gold or Quilon would have to switch teams. The West coaches selected the latter.

Deppen opened the scoring for the East with a chipped ball over Quilon and into the goal for a 1-0 lead less than six minutes in.

"It's definitely weird to score against my keeper," Deppen said. "It's different because I wanted to cheer for her - in my head, I hoped she would play good."

Massey, whose gritty play at the back set a tone for the East winning a majority of the loose balls, seconded the feeling.

"It was cool to see her making saves," she said. During the penalty shootout, "we wanted to cheer for her, but couldn't because we were going against her."

Quilon allowed two early goals, but the West was able to knot the score at 2-2 before halftime. Her team took a 4-3 lead in the 73rd minute, but the East forced the shootout with a tying goal just two minutes later.

"Both teams played amazing," said Quilon, whose Eagles totaled four all-star selections - although Lindsey Asbury was unable to attend. "It's a lot of talent put together. I've never seen all these points scored."

In the boys' game, Ocean Lakes' Devin Pierce volleyed in a goal off a long throw-in as the East prevailed 2-0. Fellow Dolphin Rory Mills had four saves in the second half and helped preserve the shutout.

It was the last opportunity for the two friends to step on the same field together as teammates - after four years of high school competition.

"It's depressing, but he's going to Hampden-Sydney and I'll be at Longwood, so we'll still be that competitive duo," Pierce said.

Added Mills: "It's sad because it's the last time we're playing organized soccer together. But it's not going to be the last time we play together. Tonight, it's a memory thing - we both got selected, we both played and we both won."

Darrell Cuenca, (757) 446-2366, darrell.cuenca@pilotonline.com