News at St. Catherine's
Times-Dispatch: Saints claim championship behind duo
Yoo, Jesselson spearhead St. Catherine’s win
Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:00 am
BY DAVE LAWRENCE
Special correspondent
St. Catherine’s combination of Virginia Jesselson and Seeley Yoo proved a juggernaut too tough for Cape Henry Collegiate to stop.
Yoo fed the ball to Jesselson, who drove it into the goal three times to lead the Saints to a 3-1 victory in the Virginia Independent Schools Division I girls soccer championship game at Ukrop Park on Monday.
BY DAVE LAWRENCE
Special correspondent
St. Catherine’s combination of Virginia Jesselson and Seeley Yoo proved a juggernaut too tough for Cape Henry Collegiate to stop.
Yoo fed the ball to Jesselson, who drove it into the goal three times to lead the Saints to a 3-1 victory in the Virginia Independent Schools Division I girls soccer championship game at Ukrop Park on Monday.
Jesselson said it was not as easy as she and Yoo made it look.
“They were really good,” Jesselson said. “I just got around them a few times to get lucky.”
Jesselson’s first stroke of luck came in the fourth minute. She and Yoo combined for another goal in the 21st minute. They found the goal again in the 77th minute to put the game all but out of reach for the Dolphins (18-3).
“Seeley’s on my Kickers’ team, too,” Jesselson said. “We’ve been playing for a long time together.”
St. Catherine’s coach Laurie Marshalek said the two bring a lot to the pitch.
“Virginia’s a true forward, and she’s got wheels,” Marshalek said. “Once she gets going, it’s very hard to stop her. … Seeley is very good at possessing our midfield, along with Morgan (Powell). They play a good game and they feed off one another very well. But, overall, everybody gave 100 percent today — all 17 girls.”
Cape Henry coach Tina Lowry said the Dolphins (18-3) may have been a bit intimidated by the Saints.
“I think we may have a little bit scared,” Lowry said. “The first half we kept retreating instead of stepping (up). In the first half it caught us twice and (Jesselson) netted both of the goals. I mean, she’s a good player. She kind of hides between the midfield and defense, so it’s hard to track with her a lot.”
Marshalek said that, despite the two-day rain delay, the Saints were ready to go.
“Our girls were ready to play,” Marshalek said. “I don’t think it was (just) today, it was all season. They have worked and prepared and today they just played like champions.”
After Jesselson’s first goal, the Saints lost a bit of steam and had to fight off a furious attack by Cape Henry in the 14th and 15th minutes. No matter how hard and how many times the Dolphins fired toward the Saints’ net, however, someone on defense deflected the ball away from the goal.
St. Catherine’s, having passed the test, seemed to take control from then on.
But the Saints could not keep Cape Henry’s Alani Johnson down forever, though. Johnson scored an unassisted goal in the 64th minute to cut St. Catherine’s lead to one point.
Rather than lose team, however, the Saints resumed the attack. Marshalek was not surprised.
“One of our things before the game was play with heart,” Marshalek said. “No matter what happens, we don’t let up.”
“They were really good,” Jesselson said. “I just got around them a few times to get lucky.”
Jesselson’s first stroke of luck came in the fourth minute. She and Yoo combined for another goal in the 21st minute. They found the goal again in the 77th minute to put the game all but out of reach for the Dolphins (18-3).
“Seeley’s on my Kickers’ team, too,” Jesselson said. “We’ve been playing for a long time together.”
St. Catherine’s coach Laurie Marshalek said the two bring a lot to the pitch.
“Virginia’s a true forward, and she’s got wheels,” Marshalek said. “Once she gets going, it’s very hard to stop her. … Seeley is very good at possessing our midfield, along with Morgan (Powell). They play a good game and they feed off one another very well. But, overall, everybody gave 100 percent today — all 17 girls.”
Cape Henry coach Tina Lowry said the Dolphins (18-3) may have been a bit intimidated by the Saints.
“I think we may have a little bit scared,” Lowry said. “The first half we kept retreating instead of stepping (up). In the first half it caught us twice and (Jesselson) netted both of the goals. I mean, she’s a good player. She kind of hides between the midfield and defense, so it’s hard to track with her a lot.”
Marshalek said that, despite the two-day rain delay, the Saints were ready to go.
“Our girls were ready to play,” Marshalek said. “I don’t think it was (just) today, it was all season. They have worked and prepared and today they just played like champions.”
After Jesselson’s first goal, the Saints lost a bit of steam and had to fight off a furious attack by Cape Henry in the 14th and 15th minutes. No matter how hard and how many times the Dolphins fired toward the Saints’ net, however, someone on defense deflected the ball away from the goal.
St. Catherine’s, having passed the test, seemed to take control from then on.
But the Saints could not keep Cape Henry’s Alani Johnson down forever, though. Johnson scored an unassisted goal in the 64th minute to cut St. Catherine’s lead to one point.
Rather than lose team, however, the Saints resumed the attack. Marshalek was not surprised.
“One of our things before the game was play with heart,” Marshalek said. “No matter what happens, we don’t let up.”
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Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St. Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
