‘That was amazing!’ Ardrey Kell rallies past Hough, into NCHSAA regional final
Ardrey Kell coach Kim Montgomery’s first move Thursday night was probably her best one.
Minutes into the Knights’ state quarterfinal 4A girls’ soccer playoff game, they found themselves in trouble against visiting Hough.
The Huskies were dominating midfield and setting up plays for their explosive front line.
So Montgomery moved sophomore defender Ally Casey to an outside midfield position. That single decision played a big role in the Knights’ 2-1 victory.
Ardrey Kell (24-1-1) advances to the West Regional finals next Tuesday, when it will face visiting Page (18-4-2), with a berth in the state championship on the line.
“They were beating us in midfield, so I put Ally up there to make a difference,” Montgomery said. “And she busted her butt. She really worked hard, and that changed things.”
Hough got scoring chances, including one notable attempt in the match’s closing minutes. But Casey made it a not-so-fun night for Hough’s attackers, disrupting play after play. During a 30-second span in the closing five minutes, she twice stole the ball from Hough players.
More than once during the event, two players went tumbling to the turf after a collision. Casey was one of those players, in most cases.
“She seemed to be everywhere,” Montgomery said.
Hough finished 22-2-1, with its only other loss coming April 1 at Ardrey Kell, by the same 2-1 score.
The Huskies struck quickly Thursday night, scoring on a Kennedy Bell goal with 5:05 elapsed. Hough had two other near-misses in the opening minutes, as the Huskies kept strong pressure on the Ardrey Kell defense.
But the Knights gradually recovered, thanks in part to Casey’s presence, and began attacking in the final 20 minutes of the first half.
Their work finally paid off with 52.3 seconds left in the half, when Casey – who else? – scored on an assist from Taylor Suarez.
After a rather uneventful opening 20 minutes of the second half, the Knights began pressuring Hough again. Suarez, who spent part of April playing with the U.S. team in the Under-17 World Championships, fed freshman Ellie Newman, whose point-blank shot was blocked by Hough defender Savannah Bishop. But two minutes later, with 18:43 remaining, Suarez again got past two Huskie defenders and lobbed a pass to Newman. This time, she put the ball in the net.
The Knights had two more close calls with about 10 minutes left, but Hough’s defense held.
Then the Huskies got probably their best chance of the second half with 3:47 remaining. Lane Hathaway broke free with the ball and shot from about 30 feet out. But Ardrey Kell goalkeeper Emily Casey – Ally’s older sister – came about 15 feet out from the goal and blocked the attempt.
“She’s 5 feet tall,” Montgomery said of the goalkeeper. “She plays with the heart and energy of a 6-footer. She’s super-aggressive about coming out on a shot like that. She’s fearless.”
Montgomery’s daughter Carly, a Florida commit, was sick Thursday night but played anyways.
“She was sick to her stomach and running a fever,” Kim Montgomery said, adding that Carly tested negative for COVID. “But she still went out there and gave it her all.
“That’s the kind of effort we got. I just love this team.”
Thursday’s Rewind: area playoff update
3A baseball
Game 2 of the 3A West Regional series between South Rowan and East Lincoln was postponed Thursday. There were several reports of tornadoes in western Lincoln County, and the area was hit by heavy rain during the evening.
The game has been reset for 7 p.m. Friday at East Lincoln. South Rowan, which won the opener 11-1 Tuesday night, would be host for a potential Game 3.
2A baseball
The second game of the 2A West Regional series between Randleman and Community School of Davidson was suspended due to lightning and heavy rain. Randleman, which won the series opener 12-0 Tuesday, was leading 5-0 Thursday after four innings.
The game will resume at 7 p.m. Friday, at Moor Field in Mooresville, in the top of the fifth.
Randleman scored three times in the third inning of Community School of Davidson starter Christian Keel, with Gus Shelton delivering an RBI single and Hunter Atkins slamming a two-run double.
1A baseball
Union Academy trounced visiting Cherryville 10-5 Thursday, evening the 1A West Regional series at one game apiece. The deciding Game 3 will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday in Cherryville.
Carter DeVore’s single in the third inning gave Union Academy a 3-2 lead, and Lyndon Gaddy added a two-run double later in the inning.
Ethan Diaz finished with three RBI, and Gavin Esp went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in two runs.
4A soccer
Weddington’s surprising run into the state quarterfinals ended in Greensboro, with a 2-1 loss to Page. The Warriors, seeded 17th in the West, fell behind 1-0 when Page scored just 2:28 into the match.
Weddington tied it two minutes later, when Ava Brown scored on a pass from Maria Manuoso. After that early flurry, the teams played a defensive struggle, until Page’s Sienna Coker scored with 9:42 left in the first half.
The teams then played a scoreless second half.
3A soccer
Lake Norman Charter 6, East Lincoln 3 (OT): The top-seeded Knights (24-1) got their toughest test since mid-March, rallying from an early deficit. East Lincoln (18-4-2) built a 2-0 lead with 15 minutes left in the first half, but Lake Norman Charter scored four minutes later, then got the equalizer with two minutes remaining in overtime.
The Knights scored two quick goals in the first of two 10-minute overtimes and pulled away.
West Henderson at South Point: This match was postponed until 5 p.m. Friday, due to strong storms in Gaston County.
1A soccer
Christ the King 1, Bishop McGuinness 0: The Crusaders scored with 9:25 remaining and advanced to the West Regional finals. They will face Union Academy, which blanked Thomas Jefferson Academy 3-0.
This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 10:36 PM.
