The regional finals for the 2016 Women’s Soccer concluded last night and the contestants are set for Saturday’s State Championships in all four classifications of play.
The State Championships will be held at Dail Soccer Field on the campus of NC State University, beginning with the 2A State Championship game at 11:00 a.m. and followed by 4A at 2:00. At 5:00 p.m. the 1A Championships will be contested with the 3A title game closing out the night scheduled for 8:00.
General admission for the State Championships is $8 dollars at the gate. You can follow the Women’s Soccer State Championship on social media using the official tournament hashtag of the NCHSAA #NCHSAASOC
2A Championship: #1 Carrboro vs. #1 Forbush, 11:00 a.m.
The top two teams from their respective regions advanced to the State Championship Game as Carrboro pounded #7 seed First Flight 5-0 in the regional finals. Forbush got past Central Academy 1-0 in the Western Final as the Falcons managed to get by on a single goal.
4A Championship: #26 Middle Creek vs. #1 Providence, 2:00 p.m.
The Middle Creek Mustangs have managed to battle their way through four playoff rounds on the road. They had one home match in the fourth round against Panther Creek, winning in penalty kicks at home before a 4-1 win on the road in the regional finals over another SWAC-4A rival, Athens Drive. Providence is the top seed out of the West, advancing to the final with a 1-0 win over West Forsyth. The Panthers boast a 24-1-1 record on the season and return to the Championship after a 2-0 loss to Panther Creek in the State Finals a season ago.
1A Championship: #1 Franklin Academy vs. #1 Community School of Davidson, 5:00 p.m.
The top two seeds in the tournament advanced to the State Championship game as Franklin Academy blasted Whiteville 6-0 in the Regional Final. The Patriots are 22-1 on the year and are making their first appearance in an NCHSAA Women’s Soccer State Championship Game. Community School of Davidson arrives at the title game off of the heels of a 4-1 win over Union Academy in the Regional Finals. The Spartans are 22-0-2 on the year and are making their second appearance in an NCHSAA Women’s Soccer State Championship Game. They were victorious in their last appearance back in 2014, taking down East Carteret 2-1.
3A Championship: #2 Jacksonville vs. #1 Weddington, 8:00 p.m.
Jacksonville had to battle the #9-seed Swansboro all the way down to penalty kicks in the regional final. The Cardinals advanced after the penalty kick shootout, winning the shootout 4-2, after regulation saw the two teams both net three goals before a scoreless two extra time periods of overtime pushed the contest to the shootout. Western top seed Weddington comes into Saturday’s Championship with a 23-0-1 record on the season. The Warriors took out Cox Mill 1-0 in the Regional Finals. Jacksonville is making their first appearance in the Women’s Soccer State Championship Game while Weddington makes their second. The Warriors fell to Chapel Hill 2-1 in the title game back in 2014.
LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP
Panther Creek won the school’s first state championship in women’s soccer, shutting out Providence by a 2-0 score. Catamount’s sophomore Meredith Hamby scored the opening goal on her way to being awarded the game’s Most Valuable Player honors. Hamby opened the scoring in the 29th minute on a one-touch goal from Emma Socha. The Catamounts iced the game with a little more than 15 minutes to play as senior Justine James pounded a shot from well outside the box into the top corner of the netting for a 2-goal lead. Panther Creek closed the season only conceding six goals on the campaign.
A.C. Reynolds tackled Swansboro 2-1 in the 3A Title game, winning the program’s first women’s soccer state title. Senior goalkeeper for the Rockets, Dallas Warren, had 11 saves on the day and was awarded Most Valuable Player honors. The Rockets outlasted Swansboro despite being outshot 13-5 on the day. Christina Shimshock tallied in the tenth minute to take the lead, and the Rockets made it 2-0 when Kaley Cross chipped one in just 12 minutes later. Taylor Ring had the lone goal for the Lady Pirates, her 20th of the year, on a long floting shot that found the back of the net just seconds before halftime.
It took overtime in the 2A championship game as Carrboro sophomore Miah Araba sent a rocket into the net from more than 30 yards out with just over six minutes to play in the second overtime to beat Forbush 2-1. Araba, the game’s M.V.P., also scored the other Jaguar marker on the day, also in overtime, this one in the first of the two extra sessions, scoring in the 85th minute. Just a minute later Shannon Holden netted the equalizer on a scramble in front of the net.
In the 1A State Title Game, Raleigh Charter netted two to get past Bishop McGuinness 2-1, winning the school’s second women’s soccer title and their first since 2007. Senior midfielder Abby Rhodes slipped in the game winner in the 63rd minute off of a perfect feed from Grace Nipp. Nipp ended the season with 45 goals and 22 assists, including the title winner, as she was named the championship’s Most Valuable Player. Mary Kay Walsh put the Villains on top in the 42nd minute following up her own miss, before Raleigh Charter tied it 12 minuts later on a goal by Rachel Erickson.