RALEIGH, N.C. – The two-time defending 2A Champion Carrboro Jaguars quickly settled into the 2017 title game against West Stokes. The Jaguars netted two goals within three minutes of each other midway through the first half to take a 2-0 lead over West Stokes on their way to a 3-0 victory. The win lifted the Jaguars to their third straight 2A State Championship.
Carrboro senior goalkeeper Grace Nanney was tested early as she had to parry a pair very difficult shots off the foot of Zoe Wehr away to keep the game scoreless in the opening ten minutes. She ended up with six saves on the afternoon and was named the match Most Valuable Player.
Nanney’s efforts helped her team find their footing in the early going, as the Jaguars earned a corner kick in the 16th minute of the contest. Miah Araba, the 2015 2A State Championship match M.V.P., headed the ball down in the box and teammate Laura Sparling punched it in to give the Jaguars the lead 1-0.
Just three minutes later, Carrboro maintained possession in the box, eventually dumping a ball out to Katie Knotek in the right corner. Knotek launched a perfect cross to the far post that found the foot of Evie Joseph who one-timed the ball off the crossbar and in to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute.
Araba added the icing on the cake for the Jaguars in the 77th minute, as she buried a laser into the upper-right corner to make it 3-0. The shot came from a free kick at the edge of the West Stokes box. Araba finished with a goal and an assist.
