Bristol Herald Courier | Jim Talbert | Photo Credit: Emily Ball
HONAKER, Va. – “A surreal moment,” is how Honaker coach Alicia Musick described her team’s 8-0 win over Fort Chiswell on Wednesday in the first round of the VHSL Region 1C/1D girls soccer tournament.
The win ensured the Tigers of back-to-back trips to the VHSL Class 1 state tournament and featured Julia Barton scoring all eight goals for the Tigers.
Barton’s effort gave her the school record for career goals with 61 and tied her for second on the VHSL’s list of single-game totals.
A four-year member of the Tigers’ varsity squad and a two-year captain, Barton said she never expected the success she has had.
“I am definitely thankful for it,” she said.
It came as no surprise that Barton was at her best.
“She is a heck of an athlete,” Musick said. “But she is also a great person. She leads our Fellowship of Christian Athletes after practices on Wednesdays. She is a two-year captain and three-year all-state player. Just a great kid.”
Fort Chiswell kept the game scoreless for the first 10 minutes before Barton got the Tigers on the board at the 10:42 mark. She got the second goal less than three minutes later.
The score remained 2-0 until Barton scored twice more in the last eight minutes of the half.
Barton hit the double hat trick mark halfway through the second half and tacked on two more for good measure. The Pioneers’ best chance for a goal came when Lilian Stoots missed on a corner kick early in the second half.