SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS
Lady Tigers blank Herbert Hoover, 3-0, to advance
The Inter-Mountain photos by Joey Kittle Elkins High School’s Addy Cogar celebrates after scoring a first-half goal against Herbert Hoover during Wednesday night’s Class AA-A, Region II, Section 2 championship game. The Lady Tigers won the title, 3-0.
Senior Celia Ricottilli shares a hug with Layla Fletcher (13) and other teammates in the Lady Tigers’ win over Herbert Hoover in Wednesday’s sectional title game.
The Inter-Mountain photos by Joey Kittle Elkins High School’s Addy Cogar celebrates after scoring a first-half goal against Herbert Hoover during Wednesday night’s Class AA-A, Region II, Section 2 championship game. The Lady Tigers won the title, 3-0.
Senior Celia Ricottilli shares a hug with Layla Fletcher (13) and other teammates in the Lady Tigers’ win over Herbert Hoover in Wednesday’s sectional title game.
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ELKINS -- No overtime was needed this time.
A year after Herbert Hoover claimed the title on its home turf, Elkins turned the tide with a 3-0 victory Wednesday night in the Class AA-A, Region II, Section 2 championship game.
It's the first sectional crown for the Lady Tigers since 2016. They lost to the Lady Huskies, 3-2, in that double-OT thriller last season and didn't participate in the postseason in 2020 due to COVID-19 -- both years being the top seed in the section.
"It was great to get on track and win the section," EHS coach Scott Cutright said. "Now we have the opportunity to play for a regional title and try to make it to the state tournament."
Addy Cogar and senior Alexa Price were involved in all three of the Lady Tigers' goals.
Midway through the first half, Price hit a streaking Cogar, who broke past the Lady Husky defense and found the right side of the net.
"Getting that first goal was huge for us," Cutright said. "Once we got that one, we settled down."
Elkins tacked on two additional goals over the first 5 minutes of the second half to take control.
Price made it 2-0 when her floating shot from 20 yards out found the inside of the Hoover net with just 1:40 elapsed in the half.
Cogar then was set up for another breakaway when sophomore Darby Bailey connected with Price, who tapped the ball to Cogar and the sophomore converted in front of the net.
"We made a little bit of adjustments at halftime," Cutright said. "We wanted to come out and take control over the first five minutes of the half and the girls responded."
Junior keeper Gracelin Corley and the Lady Tiger defense, meanwhile, kept the Lady Huskies off the board.
Hoover, which finished the season 8-9-2, had scored 25 goals over its last five games.
Elkins (15-2-2) will now face the section 2 winner at 5 p.m. next Thursday at Grafton High School.
Top-seed Philip Barbour hosts Grafton today in one semifinal, while Lincoln hosts Robert C. Byrd in the other.
The section 1 title game is Saturday at the highest-remaining seed.