2-A SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

SHELBY NIPS NORTHWOOD 2-1IN NCHSAA 2-A MEN’S SOCCER FINAL

CARY — Jerry Zeller’s goal late in the game proved to be the game winner as the Golden Lions of Shelby slipped past Pittsboro Northwood 2-1 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A men’s soccer championship Saturday night at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Zeller’s goal gave Shelby a 2-0 lead, but just three minutes later Northwood’s Sam Lucier tallied off a throw-in to tie the game to cut it to 2-1 in the 77th minute, but the Golden Lions held on. Zeller, a diminutive sophomore midfielder, was voted the Most Valuable Player in the final.

Shelby opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Northwood had trouble clearing the ball and Kevin Petty was credited with the Golden Lion goal. It stayed 1-0 until Zeller’s goal in the 74th minute.

Shelby was in the NCHSAA finals for the second consecutive year and ended the season 23-3-1, going 18-0-1 in its final 19 games. The Golden Lions took five one-goal decisions in the playoffs, including a dramatic penalty kick triumph over Surry Central in the Western Regional final.

Northwood got past Swansboro 1-0 on Friday night in a rain-delayed Eastern Regional final to advance to the state championship match for the first time. The Chargers had a 14-match winning streak snapped to end at 19-3-2 after going 21-3-2 a year ago and losing in the regional final.

Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program. The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as a host city sponsor for these championships, along with the city of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2009 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

WakeMed Soccer Park

Class 2-A Championship

Pittsboro Northwood 1 0 –1

Shelby 1 1 –2

SCORING

4th minute S–Kevin Petty.

74th minute S–Jerry Zeller.

77th minute N–Sam Lucier.

1-A CHAMPIONSHIP

AGUIRRE SCORES TWICE TO LEAD HENDERSONVILLE PAST DIXON IN NCHSAA 1-A MEN’S SOCCER FINAL

CARY — Junior forward Brayan Aguirre knocked home a pair of goals to lead Hendersonville to a 3-0 triumph over Dixon in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A men’s soccer championship Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Aguirre, the Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year this season, was voted the Most Valuable Player of the championship match.

Junior midfielder Lucus Freeman opened the scoring for the Bearcats in the eighth minute when his header found the back of the net off a corner kick by Jordan Gilliam, and then 15 minutes later Aguirre tallied his first goal off an assist from Pierce Carpenter to make it 2-0.

Hendersonville took a 3-0 advantage when Aguirre scored again five minutes into the second half, with midfielder Kyle Stuller getting the assist.

Will Patrick recorded the shutout in goal for the Bearcats.

Hendersonville, in its first trip to the state championship match, ended with a 20-4-1 record after an 0-2-1 start this season. The Bearcats outscored its opposition 25-0 in five playoff matches.

Dixon was in the state finals for the third time in the last seven years and had a 13-match winning streak snapped, finishing the season at 19-6-1. The Bulldogs won the ’06 1-A title and were runners-up in ’03.

Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program. The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as a host city sponsor for these championships, along with the city of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2009 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

WakeMed Soccer Park

Class 1-A Championship

Dixon 0 0 –0

Hendersonville 2 1 –3

SCORING

8th minute H–Lucus Freeman (Jordan Gilliam).

23rd minute H–Brayan Aguirre (Pierce Carpenter).

45th minute H–Brayan Aguirre (Kyle Stuller).

3-A CHAMPIONSHIP

MARVIN RIDGE OUTLASTS CHAPEL HILL IN SUDDEN DEATH TO EARN NCHSAA STATE 3-A MEN’S SOCCER CROWN

CARY — Senior all-state forward Matt Risher scored in the first minute of sudden death overtime to lift Waxhaw Marvin Ridge to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Chapel Hill in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A men’s soccer championship Saturday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Risher, with a goal and an assist, was named the Most Valuable Player of the final.

The teams battled to a 1-1 draw through 80 minutes of regulation play and then two 10-minute overtime periods before moving into sudden death.

After a scoreless first half, Kole Patterson tallied off a pass from Risher in the 43rd minute to give Marvin Ridge a 1-0 lead. But the Tigers battled back to tie it in the 63rd minute when Jamie Dell scored on a header and set the stage for the extra time.

In sudden death, Risher scored his 23rd goal of the season on an assist from Garrett Condon to give the Mavericks their first men’s soccer state championship.

Marvin Ridge ended the season with a 20-match winning streak and the Mavericks wound up with a 22-2-1 record. One of the newer schools in the NCHSAA, Marvin Ridge was in only its third trip ever into postseason play.

Chapel Hill, which finished 19-8-1, had an unusual trip to the championship match, its first since 1983. The Tigers battled Jacksonville in the Eastern Regional final on Wednesday night, but after 80 minutes in steady rain the officials deemed the field to be unplayable to continue. That meant that Chapel Hill had to go back to Onslow County to complete the game with the previously unbeaten Cardinals, and on Friday night the Tigers finished the contest with a 2-1 victory to advance to Saturday’s state final.

Wendy’s is the presenting sponsor of the NCHSAA sports program. The Raleigh Sports Consortium serves as a host city sponsor for these championships, along with the city of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2009 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS

WakeMed Soccer Park

Class 3-A Championship

Chapel Hill 0 1 0 0 0 — 1

Waxhaw Marvin Ridge 0 1 0 0 1 — 2

SCORING

43rd minute MR– Kole Patterson (Matt Risher)

63rd minute CH– Jamie Dell.

101st minute MR–Matt Risher (Garrett Condon)