Green Hope completed a perfect season and has earned the #1 spot in the NSCAA Spring Girls National Rankings. Cardinal Gibbons, Swansboro and Lake Norman Charter all finished their season with state titles.
A Green Hope Sweep
Redemption was sweet for the Green Hope girls soccer team.
A year ago their dream of an unbeaten season and a state championship was dashed in the 4-A state title game by the Hough HS, 2-1.
In the 2013 rematch of last year’s two finalists, the Falcons got their undefeated season and their state tital with a 2-0 victory over the Huskies.
It was Green Hope’s first girls soccer state title, and came in the same year that the Green Hope boys won their second straight championship. It completed a sweep!
Alexis Shaffer, the N.C. Gatorade Player of the Year and the championships’ MVP, put Green Hope up 1-0 in the first half. Kenley Sigmon’s second half goal put the game away.
Green Hope finished the season 28-0-0 and was 53-1 over the past two seasons. Hough was 21-3 in defense of their 2012 state title.
A two-goal victory in the final was a bit of a relief for the Falcons, who earned three one-goal wins in the last six games in postseason play.
Now Two Titles At Gibbons
The plan was to score early and pressure the opponent.
That was a winning plan as Cardinal Gibbons scored a pair of goals in the first 11 minutes of play and then turned up the heat for a 3-0 victory over St. Stephens (Hickory) for the NCHSAA 3-A championwhip.
It was the second state title for the Crusaders, but the first at the 3A level. They won the 2A title in 2007 before moving up in classification.
Junior All-America Morgan Reid got the first goal as she nailed a long shot over the head of the St. Stephens’ goalkeeper three minutes into the game.
Eight minutes later Duke-bound senior Christina Gibbons made it 2-0. Gibbons scored again in the second half and was named the game’s MVP.
The Crusaders finished the season 22-2-1) while St. Stephens, making their first trip to the state chamionship game, finished 21-4-3.
Cardinal Gibbons senior goalkeeper Kristin Twomey posted her 18th shutout of the season.
“Our seniors led the way and then everyone just followed,” said Gibbons head coach Michele Miller.
Ring Leads Pirates To Title
Swansboro’ freshman Taylor Ring scored two goals and assisted on a third to lead the Pirates to a 3-0 victory over South Iredell for the NCHSAA 2-A state championship.
The first goal came in the 14th minute. Sophomore Kimberly Moore took an assist from Ring midway through the second half and finished her 40th goal of the season for a 2-0 lead.
Ring, the game’s MVP, got the final goal in the 71st minute to seal the deal.
Swansboro, with its fourth state championship, finished the season with a 23-5-1 record, winning its final 10 games and outscoring opponents 30-0 in six state playoff matches. The Pirates, a young team, started only two seniors.
South Iredell made its first championship game apperance after knocking off previously unbeaten East Bend Forbush 1-0 in the regionals.
A Surge In Overtime
Tied 2-2 through regulation, Lake Norman Charter and Raleigh Charter were all locked up. Twenty minutes of overtime stood between them and the NCHSAA 1-A title.
It was Lake Norman that exploded for four goals in extra time to defeat the Phoenix It was the first state championship for the Knights who finished the season 18-3-3.
Sophomore forward Erin Iknayan scored the tying goal with seven minutes left in regulation after Raleigh Charter had gone up 2-1. She also had the go-ahead goal in the second minute of overtime, and was named the championship match’s MVP.
Riley Kane also scored a pair of goals for the Knights, while Rachel Quest added a single score.
Raleigh Charter, which got goals from Ilana Green, Alexa Dreyer and Rachel Hammond, finished the season 20-2.
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