Gary Ayers
Ayers5313@bellsouth.net
During the regular season, Swain’s Lady Devil soccer team split with Highlands. But in a match-up with the Highlanders last Thursday to determine who would be the #1 seed from the Smoky Mountain Conference going into the playoffs, Swain left no doubt as to who was the top seed with a strong 9-4 victory.
Athletic Directors Neil Blankenship and Jeff Marr had to scramble to find a suitable neutral field for the match as Wednesday’s heavy rain left grass fields too muddy. Pisgah high school came through with an artificial turf field for the seeding match.
The Lady Devils wasted no time as an early shot on goal actually bounced off the top bar of the net. Just three minutes into the match, senior Emmie Fuller took a corner kick and junior Karena Cline one-touched it around the Highlands goalkeeper for the score for a quick 1-0 lead Swain would never surrender.
Just six minutes later, Cline took a corner kick and sophomore Audrey Monteith one-touched it into the net for a 2-0 lead. Eight minutes later, Cline took a free kick from the 40-yard line and floated it over the goal-keeper's hand for a 3-0 lead.
Keeping up the scoring, just eight minutes later, Cline split two Highlander defenders with an assist to junior Mya Burrows-Kurr for the fourth goal of the first half.
Highlands' Claire Worley scored twice in the first half to give Swain a 4-2 lead at half-time. The Lady Devils played aggressive soccer as most of the half found Highlands playing mostly defense, as smooth passing by Swain triggered the offense.
Swain started the second half with a bang. Merely three seconds into the second-half, Burrows-Kurr made a short pass to senior Anna Gray who crushed the ball into the goal from 45 yards out for a dramatic score that seemed to take the fight out of Highlands for a 5-2 lead. Only four minutes later, Cline passed a long ball to Burrows-Kurr who found the back of the net for a 6-2 lead.
Head Coach Scott Cline urged the Lady Devils to "keep your energy up" during the second half, and the players did just that. Four minutes later, Cline took a shot that bounced off the crossbar, and Burrows-Kurr finished it off with another goal.
Only thirty seconds later, Burrows-Kurr layed the ball off to Cline who shot it through three Highlands defenders for an 8-2 lead.
At the 10-minute mark, the Lady Devils committed a hand-ball in the box giving Highlands a penalty kick, which they converted for an 8-3 score. Late in the second-half, Cline would again find Burrows-Kurr for the Lady Devils final goal as Swain celebrated the 9-4 win.
"We had a really good game and seem to have found our groove offensively in this game," said Coach Cline. "The girls knew the importance of this game and stepped up to the challenge."
Senior Anna Gray led the defense with 10 clears/steals. Gray was followed by junior Rose Carson with four and junior Sophie Matz and freshman Madison Blankenship each with three.
Goalkeeper Grace Sutton had another solid game with four saves.
The Player of the Game for the Lady Devils was junior Karena Cline.
"Karena really stepped up her play in this game,” Coach Cline said. “She not only distributed the ball well with four assists, but she also stepped up her scoring with three goals. She played a big part in eight of our nine goals.”
With the win, Swain goes into the NCHSAA 1-A state playoffs as a #5 seed in the west bracket, the Lady Devils' highest seed ever. This high seed will also guarantee at least two home games with playoff games.
Swain advanced to the second round of the NCHSAA 1A soccer playoffs on Monday. The Lady Devils shutout SMC foe Tri-County Early College by the score of 7-0.
Tonight, the Lady Devils will host defending state champions Christ the King, who finished the regular season second in the RPI rankings only to their conference opponent Mountain Island Charter, who they split games with in the regular season.