Denisse Jorge shoots. She had two goals in the second half.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Lady Wildcats tally third straight shutout; next up: Roanoke Rapids
Goalkeeper Gloria Ramirez kicks the ball away She kept Falls Lake out of the net the whole match.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Julie Herrera-Sanchez works the ball downfield.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Karsyn Cardon captures the ball and moves it away.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Yureni Reyes dribbles in the midfield.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Brianna Rangel scores the first Wildcat goal.
David Johnson|Sampson Independent
Hobbton’s Lady Wildcats soccer team is moving on to the fourth round of the NCHSAA State 1A Soccer playoffs after posting yet another shutout victory on Monday night. Hosting the No. 5 seeded Falls Lake Lady Firebirds, the Lady Wildcats pitched their third-straight shutout win in getting a 3-0 victory.
The first half of Tuesday’s game was high-octane. Both teams had their share of chances, but the aggressor in the early going was Hobbton. With a combination of run outs and fouls, the Lady Wildcats generated many opportunities but just couldn’t seem to get one through. The clock was moving quickly and the game dipped below 20:00 to go with Falls Lake now struggling to get the ball past midfield. Finally, Hobbton got the breakthrough they were looking for. Getting a big play out near midfield, Brianna Rangel got deep just left of the goal and fired a shot high enough out of reach of the Lady Firebirds goalkeeper and took a 1-0 lead with 15:53 left in the first half.
Seemingly having regrouped a little bit, Falls Lake began to work the ball the other way and got some chances of their own. Still, the Lady Wildcats were more dominant and neither team got any more goals at the end of the first half.
Hobbton got a quick opportunity at the start of the second half, drawing a foul on the right side just a few yards from the goal. The free shot on goal was dead on, but the Lady Firebirds goalkeeper made a great save to keep the score at 1-0. The Lady Wildcats kept Falls Lake busy, getting a plethora of opportunities but the goalkeeper was earning her money. With eight minutes gone in the second half, the lead was stalled at 1-0.
Then suddenly, the Lady Firebirds had a great opportunity when they broke free for an assault on the Lady Wildcats goal. Gloria Ramirez, though, swatted away one shot and the follow up shot soared high above the goal, maintaining the 1-0 lead. Falls Lake generated a couple more opportunities but now it was Ramirez earning her keep. Her big plays paid off at the 30:20 mark when Denisse Jorge took the ball the other way and fired a long-range missile that dove in past the Firebirds goalkeeper, propelling Hobbton to a 2-0 lead.
After the teams had been tussling back and forth following the goal, Falls Lake got another great opportunity. After drawing a one-on-one with the Lady Wildcats goalkeeper, Ramirez came up with a dandy of a save, keeping the score 2-0 as the time slipped below 15:00 to go.
Then with 6:55 left, Hobbton drove the final nail in the coffin as Jorge got her second goal of the game, firing a dagger from just off center to put the score at an insurmountable 3-0 margin.
That’s how the game ended as the Lady Wildcats danced their way into the fourth round of the playoffs. That’s where they will travel to Durham to take on No. 1 seed Voyager Academy, who had to win their game in overtime against Eno River by the 1-0 score. Gametime in Durham is set for Thursday evening.