Tabb tops New Kent 4-0 to close out soccer regular season

New Kent's Jazmine Berry (9) keeps the ball from bouncing out of bounds while blocking off Tabb's Schuyler Jurewicz. Below, Lady Trojan Payton Melvin (18) leaps to control the ball in front of Tabb's Abby Jurewicz. In the bottom photo, Lady Trojan Maggie Jarvis moves the ball upfield ahead of Abby Jurewicz.

Alan Chamberlain photos

A 4-0 loss to Tabb in their regular season home finale could pay some benefits for New Kent’s Lady Trojans as they enter post-season soccer play. At least that’s the way Lady Trojan coach Steve Grech views the situation.

“The girls played well,” Grech said after Thursday night’s contest. “Tabb has a great team and has beaten a lot of other teams 8-0 and 9-0. I’m happy with 4-0, but I wish it went the other way with this being Senior Night.

“This was good training for us for the first playoff game,” he said, pointing to next Monday’s contest at Warhill, a team the Lady Trojans defeated earlier, to open Conference 25 tournament play.

“If we get past the first game and go to the second game and get that, we’re in the finals,” he added.

Against highly regarded Tabb, the Lady Trojans came close to breaking on top just over a minute in. Nae White drove past a Tiger defender to challenge keeper Mariel Waller one-on-one. Unfortunately for the hosts, White drilled the shot directly into the arms of the charging Waller.

New Kent’s defense and keeper Lauren Barney held off the Tigers until nearing the first half’s midpoint when Michelle Sterling lofted a shot over Barney to break the 0-0 deadlock. The hosts had opportunity to tie eight minutes later when Taylor Clements blocked Waller’s attempt to clear the ball out of the Tiger end. Clements, however, could not run down the rebound and gain a shot into an open goal before the ball rolled out of bounds.

After Tabb opened a 2-0 lead late in the half, another scoring opportunity rolled New Kent’s way. Passes by Clements and White set up Jewel Williams for a shot into an open goal, but a defender outraced Williams to the ball, kicking it out of bounds.

Tabb unleashed 26 shots to New Kent’s four. Lady Trojan keepers Barney and Sydni Harvey combined for 17 saves.

“These girls will fight to the end,” Grech said after his team completed regular season play at 4-10. “I don’t look at the score so much as I look at the way they play. Sometimes the ball goes in the net; sometimes it leans the other way.”