SHELBY OUTLASTS EAST DUPLIN IN PK’STO WIN NCHSAA STATE 2-A MEN’S SOCCER CROWN
RALEIGH — It went down to penalty kicks, and Shelby outlasted East Duplin by a score of 3-2 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A men’s soccer championship on Saturday afternoon at the Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Soccer Stadium at N.C. State University.
The teams battled through 80 minutes of regulation play to a 2-2 tie, then went through the overtime periods scoreless before having to go nine rounds of PK’s, with Shelby eventually connecting on seven to six for East Duplin.
Shelby goalkeeper Seth Crow, a 6-1, 217-pound senior, was the Most Valuable Player of the championship in unusual fashion. After the first round of five penalty kicks ended in a 3-3 draw, he was tabbed as the sixth kicker and connected on his PK. Then, in the ninth round of kicks, he made a save on East Duplin’s Jose Dominguez to clinch the championship.
Shelby had taken a 1-0 lead on an own goal and then East Duplin tied it shortly before halftime on a goal by junior forward Wesley Sholar.
The Panthers then went up 2-1 in the 43rd minute on an unassisted tally by Joel Zepada. The game-tying goal came in the 68th minute when Mason McCarter of the Golden Lions scored off an assist from Ben Cheaney.
Shelby played in its third consecutive state championship match and won its second straight state title, as the Golden Lions lost in the ’08 final to Cardinal Gibbons and beat Pittsboro Northwood 2-1 in last year’s title match. The Golden Lions ended the year 22-3-2.
East Duplin enjoyed its best season in school history, advancing past the third round of the NCHSAA playoffs for the first time, and finished the season with a record of 21-3-4.
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
2010 STATE 2-A MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Soccer Stadium, N.C. State University
East Duplin 1 1 0 0 0 0 0— 2
Shelby 1 1 0 0 0 0 1*—3
*Shelby won on penalty kicks 7-6.
SCORING
19th minute S — own goal by East Duplin
38th minute ED—Wesley Sholar (Jose Dominguez)
43rd minute ED—Joel Zepada
68th minute S— Mason McCarter (Ben Cheaney)
