There's a famous NFL Films instrumental called "The Autumn Wind," a song depicting the Oakland Raiders: an incomparable team of renegades who brave the elements and always manages victory.
On a Tuesday night featuring freezing temperature and treacherous wind, you could almost hear John Facenda's staccato voice mouthing the words:
"The autumn wind is a Baron, pillaging just for fun. She'll knock you around and upside down, until she has conquered and won."
It may or may not be a renegade, but the undefeated Bethesda-Chevy Chase girls soccer team (13-0) used the miserable conditions to its advantage, playing the wind tactically in a 4-0 victory over Tuscarora in their 3A West Region playoff debut.
The No. 1 seed entering the tournament, the Barons continued what has been one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory, at least in Montgomery County; they have now outscored opponents 75-4, and their shutout of the longtime Frederick County power was their 11th in 13 games.
"The wind tonight played such a huge factor; it must have been at least a 20 miles per hour," said Barons coach Rob Kurtz. "It gave us a decision we went through a bunch of times: Do we go out and try to score a bunch or play defensive? We won the toss, we got that first goal right into the wind; all you had to do was get the ball up in the air and the ball was going to go to the nearest point. We felt we needed at least a couple goals for the wind to be an advantage, and it was."
In actuality, the wind may have aided the Barons on their first two goals. The first was an own goal 14 minutes into the first half, off a 20-yard kick that nosedived into the Titan box, scrambled between numerous Tuscarora and B-CC players, and somehow wound up in the back of the net.
The second goal was more direct, though just as wind-aided, as senior captain Hilary Goldman found herself alone 15 yards from goal. She side-volleyed a high, twisting shot into the air that the wind curved southbound, just underneath the crossbar. Almost miraculously, the ball hit the bar and went straight down, giving B-CC a 2-0 lead by the narrowest of margins.
After Goldman's first goal of the year 8 minutes into the second half, the Barons began dominating. They got their third goal when senior Hannah Cooper played a longball to freshman Kara Klontz, who outraced defenders and easily knocked home her second finish of the season.
Cooper, a dynamic striker and two-time All-Gazette first-teamer, put in her team-leading 25th goal late in the game for the coup de grace.
The Barons next face No. 4 seed Seneca Valley, which ousted Einstein Thursday night, in the region semifinals.