The Maroon Devils Women’s Soccer Team hosted the Murphy Bulldogs in the first round of the NCHSAA Playoffs on Monday night. It would be the third meeting of the season for the teams. Fourteen minutes into the game Senior Mazie Helpman would score off a corner kick from Freshman Karena Cline. Five minutes later Helpman would receive a long ball from Cline and convert it into a goal. With eleven minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs would take a corner kick that the Devils defense would clear out quickly. Cline would receive the ball and take it down the sideline crossing it to Helpman who would score her third goal of the game. The first half would end with the Devils leading 3-0.
In the second half the Maroon Devils would add to their scoring when Cline would take a corner kick that would bounce off the goalkeeper and Freshman Mya Burrows-Kurr would finish it for a goal. The game would finish with the Maroon Devils taking the 4-0 win. “The girls played a good full 80 minutes. It was great to see how well they played as a team and kept the intensity up for the full game.” said Head Coach Scott Cline.
Defensively Sophomore Anna Gray led the way with 12 Steals/Clears each, followed by Senior Jade Henry with 67, Junior Elke Reinert and Freshman Sophie Matz each with 6. In the game, Sophomore Emmie Fuller had 7 goalkeeper saves.
The Player of the Game for the Maroon Devils was Senior Mazie Helpman. “Mazie really stepped it up in the scoring. She was very persistent and moved around the field really well.” said Coach Cline. The Devils will travel to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Thursday for a 6:00 game in the 2nd round of the NCHSAA Playoffs. Thomas Jefferson is a charter school from Mooresboro, NC.