Ava Williford sends a shot toward the goal. Williford scored the only goal in Clinton’s 1-0 win over Roanoke Rapids on Thursday, sending home the winning shot on a penalty kick.
Lady Horses topple another big seed to advance to East final
Clinton defensive midfielder Evan Gillespie, clears the ball out of Dark Horse territory during an earlier game. Gillespie and her teammates have played stingy defense allowing only two goals in four playoff games during Clinton’s deep playoff run.
The Lady Dark Horses have been on a tear in the postseason, taking down one top-seeded foe after another. Their latest victim was Roanoke Rapids on Thursday night as Clinton returned home the winners of a 1-0 upset to advance to the East Regional Final.
The Lady Dark Horses got the game’s only goal in the second half, breaking the seal in what was largely a tightly-guarded battle. This win marks Clinton’s third straight road win against higher-seeded opponents, including the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in back-to-back games.
“We’re very proud of the girls. It’s a big accomplishment,” said Clinton coach Adam Smith. “We had to dig deep at certain points during the game but the girls accepted the challenge.”
Now, with a trip to the State Championship next weekend on the line, the Lady Dark Horses will have to overcome No. 4 seed Seaforth, a team that defeated Clinton 5-0 earlier this month.
Smith knows the task is a tall one, saying, “We still have some work to do.”
The East Regional Final will be played Tuesday night at Seaforth.