Lord Botetourt girls soccer hopes to get through the regional roadblock

Cavaliers are aiming to make it to states

DALEVILLE, Va. – The Lord Botetourt girls soccer team went undefeated through the regular season.

With a spot in the conference title game, they earned an automatic berth in the state regional tournament, a road this team has been down before.

"That's the thing that I hear every year, from all the other coaches and all that stuff. 'How come you guys are so strong throughout the whole conference and then after conference you can't finish?'" head coach Giuseppe D'Arpa said.

The Cavaliers had a taste of the state tournament a few years ago and are on the hunt to make their way back.

"We have a lot of motivation this year, we have eight seniors on the team, and we fell short the past couple years in regions and winning district and conference. We're really motivated this year to hopefully go all the way," senior Hannah Leonard said.

"Most of us have been playing together since we were in elementary school, so growing up together it's been fun and we are all real close and I think that's helped us in this team," senior Hallie Catron said.

Despite strong regular seasons and conference campaigns, the last three years the Cavaliers fell short of the state tournament. One big reason is because the road to states runs through three-time defending champions Blacksburg.

The last time the Cavaliers girls soccer team made the state tournament was in 2014 when these seniors were just freshman. This year their main goal was to make it back.

"One thing they've talked about since we started is going to states, and that's the conversation they've talked about all year long and we try to tell them take it one game at a time because you never know what's going to happen," D'Arpa said.

As the Cavs move forward in post-season play, they'll continue to travel together as a team, but with their eyes always set on the destination.