The North Carolina Coaches Association has named the coaches for the 2014 North Carolina-South Carolina All-Star basketball games and the East-West All-Star basketball, soccer, and football games.

The Carolinas All-Star Basketball Classic is traditionally held in the spring. The East-West All-Star games are held during the third week of July in along with the North Carolina Coaching Clinic.

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.

RALEIGH – Senior forward Thomas Vigdor scored a pair of second-half goals to lead Waxhaw Cuthbertson to a convincing 4-1 decision over Carrboro in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A men's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University on Saturday night.

The Cavaliers broke a 1-1 tie with a three-goal barrage in about a 12-minute span late in the second half. Vigdor was named the Most Valuable Player of the championship.

His first goal came in the 65^th minute after a great assist from Jason Drain to make it 2-1. Then Obi Collins, the Cavs' leading scorer on the year, tallied with an assist from Evan Martinez to make it 3-1.

Vigdor clinched it with his second goal, this one in the 77^th minute, for the final margin.

Cuthbertson jumped on top quickly, scoring in the fifth minute when senior midfielder Michael Proctor found the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage. For a good portion of the first half after that, however, Carrboro dominated possession and kept the ball in the Cavalier end.

Carrboro finally got the equalizer in the 58^th minute on a brilliant shot off the right wing outside the box by senior Alex Callaham to make it 1-1.

The Cavaliers, who have won the last four Rocky River Conference titles, earned their first NCHSAA state men's soccer championship and finished the season with a 23-3-2 mark. Carrboro was in the final for the second consecutive year, having lost to Salisbury in last year's championship. The Jaguars finished 18-7-3.

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.

5^th minute

CUT--Michael Proctor (Travis Whitt)

58^th minute

CARR--Alex Callaham

65^th minute

CUT--Thomas Vigdor (Jason Drain)

75^th minute

CUT--Obi Collins

77^th minute

CUT--Thomas Vigdor 

RALEIGH – Sophomore midfielder Chris Tziatzos knocked in the winning goal in the second overtime to lift Jacksonville to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Hickory in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A men's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University on Saturday night.

Tziatzos, who came on as a sub in the second half, buried the game winner into the left side of the net with just 3:18 remaining in the second 10-minute overtime after Hickory failed to clear the ball out of its own end. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the final. Jacksonville played the final 35 minutes of regulation and all the extra time a man down.

Jacksonville had gotten the game-tying goal with just 2:40 left to play in regulation when Cormick Brennan found the back of the net after a wild scramble for the ball in front of the Hickory goal to knot the game at 1-1.

The Red Tornadoes grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the second half on a penalty kick by senior midfielder Conner Hartman after Jacksonville was called for a handball in the box. Hickory also had a couple of great scoring chances in the final 10 minutes but failed to convert before the Cardinals got the equalizer.

For most of the game, Hickory effectively contained the explosive Cardinal attack which had outscored its opposition 36-4 in its previous five playoff games. Hickory had a total of 11 shots, four on goal, while the Cards attempted 17 total shots with five of those on goal. The Tornadoes held an 11-8 edge in corner kicks.

Both teams were in the championship match for the fourth time, and each carried a 1-2 championship record into this final. Jacksonville finished the year with a 26-1 mark and won its final 24 in a row, with the only loss to 4-A state runner-up Charlotte Myers Park. Hickory had an 18-match winning streak snapped and the Red Tornadoes wound up 27-2.

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
45th minute H--Conner Hartman penalty kick
78th minute J--Cormick Brennan
97th minute J--Chris Tziatzos

RALEIGH – Southwest Onslow goalkeeper Nicholas Matics was selected as the Most Valuable Player on Saturday afternoon as he helped lead his Stallions to a 2-0 victory over Lake Norman Charter in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A men's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University.

Matics was credited with six saves on the afternoon. The Stallions, with a stout defense and Matics in goal, allowed only 13 goals in their 18-game season.

Sophomore midfielder Paul Bishop put Southwest Onslow on the board in the ninth minute as he won a challenge for the ball and then tucked it into the net for a 1-0 Stallion lead.

That goal stood until the 67th minute when Austin Tausch, Southwest's leading scorer on the season, crossed a ball that wound up deflecting off a Lake Norman defender and going into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

For the game, Lake Norman Charter had seven shots on goal to four for the Stallions and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.

Both teams were playing in their first NCHSAA men's soccer championship, although the Stallions have made it to the regional level on four occasions. Southwest finished the season with a 14-2-2 record and won its final 12 matches, while Lake Norman Charter wound up 19-4-1 overall.

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
9th minute SWO--Paul Bishop
67th minute SWO--own goal

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.

RALEIGH – Four North Carolina High School Athletic Association women's state soccer championships will be decided this weekend in the 27th annual NCHSAA finals at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University.

One game is scheduled for Friday, with the 1-A championship set, and then the other three finals will be played on Saturday.. This will be the sixth year for a separate 1-A championship since the number of schools playing the sport increased to the threshold for having a separate championship.

CHAPEL HILL – The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors completed its spring Board meeting on Wednesday at the NCHSAA offices.

"The Board had a very productive meeting over the past two days," said Davis Whitfield, commissioner. "We had a very challenging and comprehensive agenda, but the Board members engaged in thoughtful discussion and looked at our Association matters from a global perspective. I am pleased with the result of this Board session."

Items which the Board studied and approved included: