Lake Norman Charter Outlasts Raleigh Charter in Overtime in NCHSAA State 1-A Women's Soccer Final

RALEIGH – Lake Norman Charter outlasted Raleigh Charter 6-3 in overtime in a wild back-and-forth North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A women's soccer championship game at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University.

There were four goals in the regulation 80 minutes and then six goals in overtime, including three in the space of five minutes in the first extra stanza.

Both teams scored within about 30 seconds of the first overtime, with sophomore forward Erin Iknayan, who was named the championship match Most Valuable Player, getting her second goal of the game to put Lake Norman Charter up 3-2. But moments later Rachel Hammond of Raleigh Charter knocked home a penalty kick to tie it again.

Madeline Iknayan scored in the 85th minute to put Lake Norman Charter back in front 4-3, and six minutes later a long shot by Rachel Quest of the Knights made it 5-3. Then Riley Kane scored her 21st goal of the season with less than two minutes to go in the second OT for the final tally.

Both teams had a couple of scoring opportunities in the first 40 minutes, but failed to capitalize as the first half was scoreless.

Then Lake Norman Charter broke the ice in the 47th minute when Kane tallied with a great individual effort, as the junior forward’s left-footed shot found the back of the net.

But seconds later, after the ensuing kickoff, junior midfield Alexa Dreyer of Raleigh Charter lofted a shot high over the keeper to even the score at 1-1.

The Phoenix then took a 2-1 advantage in the 59th minute as Dreyer delivered a beautiful cross to senior forward Ilana Green, who slammed it home to put Raleigh Charter ahead.

But Lake Norman Charter responded to deadlock the game at 2-2, which is the way the regulation 80 minutes ended. Erin Iknayan knocked in the equalizer in the 73rd minute.

Raleigh Charter was in the finals for the third time, winning the title in 2007 and making its first visit to the finals since 2009, while Lake Norman Charter played for the title for the first time. Lake Norman Charter wound up 19-3-3 overall while Raleigh Charter went 20-2.

Swansboro Blanks South Iredell 3-0 in NCHSAA State 2-A Women's Soccer Final

RALEIGH – Swansboro’s Tylor Ring scored two goals and assisted on a third to lead the Pirates to a 3-0 triumph over South Iredell on Saturday afternoon in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A women's soccer championship game at Dail Soccer Field.

Ring, a freshman forward who opened the scoring in the 14th minute and then scored the final goal of the match, was selected as the championship match Most Valuable Player.

Swansboro led 1-0 at intermission after Ring’s first goal, with Brenna Kate Grass assisting, and then in the 56th minute sophomore Kimberly Moore scored her 40th goal of the season off an assist from Ring for a 2-0 advantage.

In the final minutes, with South Iredell pushing forward, Ring got a breakaway, took the ball down deep into the box and scored in the 71st minute to salt away the victory.

The victorious Pirates outshot South Iredell 11-6 and had three corner kicks to one for the Vikings.
Swansboro finished the season with a 23-5-1 record and won its final 10 matches, including outscoring its foes 30-0 in six state playoff matches. The Pirates should also be good in years to come with only two seniors in the starting lineup.

South Iredell suffered its third loss in 25 outings.
 

Swansboro was in the finals for the third time in the last five years and sixth overall, with the Pirates winning state crowns in 2006, ’09 and ’10. South Iredell made its first appearance in the championships after knocking off previously unbeaten East Bend Forbush 1-0 in the regional round.

Cardinal Gibbons Rolls Past St. Stephens in NCHSAA State 3-A Women's Soccer Championship

           

RALEIGH – Christina Gibbons scored a pair of goals to lead Cardinal Gibbons to a 3-0 victory over Hickory St. Stephens on Saturday afternoon for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A women's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at N.C. State University.

Gibbons, a Duke signee who scored five goals in a playoff game against Burlington Williams earlier in the playoffs, was named Most Valuable Player of the championship match.

The Crusaders exerted heavy pressure in the first 20 minutes and tallied just 2:08 into the contest when all-American Morgan Reid found the back of the net. Then Cardinal Gibbons made it 2-0 in the 11^th minute with a two on one that resulted in a goal by Gibbons.

In the 60^th minute, Gibbons dribbled down the right side and then tucked it into the left corner of the net for the final 3-0 advantage.

The Crusader defense, with senior Kristen Twomey in goal, recorded its 18^th shutout in 25 games. Twomey had five saves as Gibbons outshot St. Stephens 20-9.

Cardinal Gibbons finished the season 22-2-1 and played for the NCHSAA women’s soccer championship for the fourth time, winning its second state crown. The Crusaders won the 2-A title in 2007 and now have an amazing 38-6 record in state playoff competition in the last eight seasons. St. Stephens made its first appearance in the championship and the Indians ended the campaign 21-4-2.

Green Hope Blanks Cornelius Hough 2-0 to Earn NCHSAA State 4-A Women's Soccer Championship

RALEIGH – Cary Green Hope capped a perfect season and blanked Cornelius W.A. Hough 2-0 on Saturday afternoon to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A women’s soccer championship before a large crowd at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University.

Green Hope avenged a loss in last year’s final, as it was a rematch of last year’s state 4-A title match in which Sarah Moon scored two goals in the final 11 minutes to lift Hough to a 2-1 victory over Green Hope.

Senior forward Alexis Shaffer, who scored the initial goal of the game and had an excellent all-around performance, was named the championship Most Valuable Player.

Green Hope took a 1-0 lead in the 33^rd minute when Shaffer took the ball down the right side, wheeled back to the left and fired a left-footed shot into the back of the net for her 39^th goal of the season. The Falcons had the better of play for most of the first half.

In the second half, as Hough pressed forward in the final minutes, Green Hope junior midfielder Kenley Sigmon found the ball in space, dribbled through a couple of defenders and then buried a shot for the 2-0 margin with 6:34 remaining.

Senior keeper Lisa Armstrong recorded the shutout in goal, with seven saves.

Green Hope completed a perfect 28-0 season and has not lost since its defeat in last year’s state championship game. Hough finished the year 21-3 overall and had a seven-match win streak snapped. 

Hough was in the finals for the second straight year in just the third year of the school’s existence.

The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as the primary host city partner for the women's soccer championship, along with the Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CARY— Emily Allen helped lead Cornelius W.A. Hough to its second consecutive team title on Thursday night in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A swimming and diving championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center.

Allen won both the 50 and the 100 freestyle events and swam the anchor legs on two victorious relay teams to lift Hough to the crown and earn Most Valuable Performer honors, Allen set new NCHSAA all-classification records in both her individual events with All-American Automatic times in both.

Hough scored 323 points to 236 for runner-up Cary Green Hope. Cary Panther Creek was third at 182, followed by Charlotte Providence (167), Greensboro Grimsley (160) and Cary (159). A total of 35 schools scored in the women’s meet.

It was the ninth time in the last 12 years that a Charlotte-Mecklenburg school won the NCHSAA state 4-A women’s crown, with Providence earning six of those between 2002 and ’09.

Hannah Moore of Green Hope captured top honors in both the 100 backstroke and the 500 free and also swam the leadoff leg on the first-place 200 medley relay team. She set a new all-classification record of 54.37 seconds in the 100 back, breaking the old mark but just .03 of a second.

South Mecklenburg’s Alexandra Martelle also took two individual titles, winning both the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley.

Green Hope, which won a pair of relay events, captured the men’s championship by scoring 259 points, with Hough in second at 190. The Green Hope state title snapped a string of four consecutive crowns won by Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools on the men’s side.

South Mecklenburg was third with 175, followed by East Chapel Hill (168) and defending state champ Providence (157). There were 44 schools scoring points in the men’s meet.

Colin Ellington of Holly Springs was the MVP of the men’s meet. Ellington was a double winner, finishing first in both the 200 individual medley and the 100 free. He established a new all-classification state record in the 100 free of 44.87 seconds and had All-American Automatic times in both events.

John Manchester of Hough also swam to two individual titles, taking both the 100 backstroke and the 200 free.

RALEIGH – Green Hope scored the only goals of the game in the final 14 minutes as the Falcons won their second consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A men's soccer championship, beating Charlotte Myers Park 2-0 at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University on Saturday afternoon.

The contest was a rematch of last year's 4-A state championship, in which Green Hope prevailed 2-1 in overtime.

Green Hope senior goalkeeper Sam Bissette, a 6-4 junior who made six saves and a couple of the spectacular variety, was named the championship Most Valuable Player. He helped keep Myers Park at bay, especially in the first half when the Mustangs seemed to have the edge in play, and then secured two saves on point-blank shots in the second half.

Green Hope captain Joshua Kennedy finally broke the scoreless tie in the 66^th minute off an assist from Cole Dixon to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Then in the game's final two minutes with Myers Park pressing forward, Zack Compton got loose on a breakaway and put it in near post to secure the victory. Compton had come on as a sub in the second half.

The Falcons had eight shots on goal to seven for Myers Park, and the Falcons had two corner kick opportunities to one for the Mustangs.

The Falcons finished with a record of 24-2 and won their second NCHSAA crown in four trips to the championship match. Myers Park ended the year 20-4, with the Mustangs making their third consecutive appearance in the finals and sixth overall. Myers Park won its only soccer title in 2008.

The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as a host city sponsor for these championships, along with the city of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

SCORING

66^th minute

GH--Joshua Kennedy (Cole Dixon)

78^th minute

GH--Zack Compton

RALEIGH – Four championships will be decided Saturday in the annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s state men’s soccer championships at Dail Soccer Field on the campus of North Carolina State University.

The championship weekend, which includes two schools from Onslow County, will start with the 4-A final on Saturday morning at 11:05, followed by the 1-A at 2:05 p.m. and the 3-A final at 5:05 p.m. The final game of the quadrupleheader will be the 2-A contest, starting at 8:05 p.m. This will be the 12th year for four separate classified championships.

All four of the games will be televised by Time Warner Cable and available on Carolina on Demand, digital channel 199 or 1047 on Time Warner systems across the state, within a couple of days after the championships.