Charlotte Latin girls’ soccer seniors want return to freshman glory

Abbe McCarter, Caroline Peters and Perry Zollicoffer recall winning the 2012 girls’ state soccer championship like it was yesterday.

The Charlotte Latin trio made significant contributions as freshmen to a Hawks team that won its fifth straight N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 3A state title 1-0 against Greensboro Day.

That group, now seniors, has had a lot of success at Charlotte Latin – 60 wins, eight losses and four ties – but hasn’t returned to the state title game since that freshman year. The Hawks have been knocked out of the semifinals each of the past two seasons, while watching Providence Day win back-to-back titles.

Co-captains McCarter, Peters and Zollicoffer want to lead the team back to the championship game.

They will have a lot of help from classmates, as Latin’s roster includes six other seniors: Amanda Fine, Emily Herron, Avery Horvath, Carrie Mittl, Avery Riescher and Katherine Tomlin.

“I know our entire senior class really wants to bring it full circle and finish our last season off with a state championship,” said McCarter, 17. “Coming in as freshmen, I think we were all like, ‘This is what (Latin does), we win state championships.’ But, I don’t think we really understood how hard it is to win it all.

“Now, having lost in the semifinals the last two years, we know how tough it is and we are playing with something to prove.”

Coach Lee Horton, who has led the Charlotte Latin boys’ and girls’ teams to 958 wins and 15 state titles (eight girls, seven boys), says he can see just how bad this team wants it, even in practice.

“I believe this team wants (a state title) about as bad as you can possibly want something,” Horton said. “It’s been killing us for the last two years to not even get to that final game. We want to get back and start another streak. But we know it’s not going to be easy, because there are a lot of great teams that want the same thing.”

The 2015 Latin squad has looked like a team on a mission. As the No. 1 team in the state NCISAA 3A rankings, the Hawks still are unbeaten (10-0-2, 6-0-1 CISAA through April 21) and have outscored opponents 46-3.

The senior class has been integral to that success: McCarter has seven goals and eight assists, Mittl has scored eight goals and Peters has four assists.

Horton has also gotten contributions from freshmen like Mary Elliott McCabe (six goals, seven assists), Ellie Norman (eight goals) and goalkeeper Claudia Dickey (allowed one goal all year), as well as sophomores including Emily Wise (eight goals, four assists).

The core of this team is its captains, who often play together in the Hawks’ central midfield.

McCarter and Peters also move up to play forward at times, while Zollicoffer often slides back into defense.

The trio has combined for 162 career starts, 47 goals and 64 assists in their Latin careers.

“We’ve become very close through all the ups and downs we’ve been through together,” said Zollicoffer, 18, of the captains. “But each one of us brings a different style of leadership to the table. I’m more of the vocal type, Abbe is the quiet leader by example, and Caroline is always a ball full of energy and it’s contagious. The fact that we are all so different is what makes us a great together.”

“Their experience is huge, especially when the games get tough,” said Horton. “A great example would be the Providence Day (game), when we got down (1-0) for the first time all season. There’s a moment like that in every big game, where you either step up or crack.

“We could have gotten rattled, but our seniors just didn’t let that happen (game ended in 1-all tie after double overtime), and whenever we are in doubt, I know I can count on them.”

The Latin captains have also had success in the classroom, as McCarter has a 4.0 GPA, Peters a 4.3 and Zollicoffer a 4.1.

Their successes on and off the field have earned them opportunities to play college soccer: McCarter will head to Emory University, Peters to Washington and Lee University and Zollicoffer to Davidson College.

“Each of these girls are great soccer players, and that will continue in college, but I think soccer is just the fun part,” Horton said. “They are also great students. I think they are going to have an even bigger impact professionally and in the community, no matter what they decide to do in the future.”

But first, the Latin seniors hope to enjoy a successful last chapter in Hawks soccer tradition.

“I’ve wanted to be a part of Latin soccer team long before I was even on the team,” said Peters, 18, whose older sister, Katherine (a 2011 graduate), was all-state for Latin.

“To have been a part of this tradition for the last four years and know what it means to me, it would mean a lot to go out as a state champion. We (seniors) all know how it feels, but we all want the younger girls to know what it feels like to be a part of the (Latin) championship tradition, too.”

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Charlotte Latin girls’ soccer seniors want return to freshman glory."