MOORESVILLE – Wheatmore’s bid to make it to the state final in girls’ soccer for the third year in a row was dashed Tuesday night.
Pine Lake Prep defeated the visiting Warriors 3-2 in the Class 2A West Region final in a rematch from last season.
Ellie Garrison scored both goals for the sixth-seeded Warriors (17-5). Natalie Bowman provided an assist. Lucy Lockwood recorded 12 saves, though her four-game shutout streak ended.
Avery Garrett, Maddyson Kerley and Morgan Reisig scored goals for top-seeded Pine Lake Prep. The game was tied 1-1 at halftime.
Pine Lake Prep (20-1-1) will face East Region champion Seaforth (24-1-1) on Saturday night at Mecklenburg County Sportsplex in Matthews for the state championship.
In last Thursday’s fourth-round game at second-seeded Hendersonville, Bowman and Garrison both had two goals and an assist in a 4-0 road victory.
“There’s a little bit (of pressure) just because we have been the last two years,” Garrison said. “It mostly comes from ourselves and us wanting to break our own records and just get back there.”
Reaching the final would be quite an accomplishment, coach Rick Maness said.
“If we got there, it would be the Good Lord doing it,” he said.
Still, Maness said he encouraged the Warriors to think big entering the postseason and not being content with advancing a few rounds.
“I think you might be able to do better,” he said he told the team.
Class 1A
Last Thursday at Columbus, second-seeded Polk County topped third-seeded Uwharrie Charter Academy 4-2 in the West Region semifinal.
It was only the third game this season that the Eagles (16-6) gave up more than two goals – the others came against Class 2A regional finalist Wheatmore.
UCA was coming off a 3-2 third-round victory against No. 22 seed Bradford Prep, with Jazmin Palma scoring two goals and Reese Craven scoring the other.
