Roundup: Ardrey Kell shocks unbeaten Charlotte Catholic in regional final upset
The Ardrey Kell High School girls’ soccer team continued its wild ride through the NCHSAA 4A playoffs Tuesday, beating Charlotte Catholic 2-1 in overtime to take the NCHSAA 4A Western Regional championship game.
Charlotte Catholic was 20.3 seconds from winning itself.
Instead, Ardrey Kell (22-3-4) won its 12th straight game and upset the No. 10 team in America. The Knights advanced to the 4A state final for the third time in four years. Ardrey Kell lost in the 2022 state final and beat Wilmington’s Ashley High, 3-2, in the 2023 championship round.
This year, the Knights will again face Ashley in the 2025 final at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Matthews Sportsplex. Ashley (22-2-2) beat Raleigh’s Millbrook High, 2-0, in the Eastern regional.
Ashley is making its third straight appearance in the 4A finals, having lost to Marvin Ridge last year.
Catholic (22-1-1), which had its 21-game win streak snapped, got a first-half goal from Mary Martin Spinner and led 1-0 until there were 20.3 seconds left to play. In the second half, the Cougars’ defense withstood some flurries from Ardrey Kell, including four quick shots on goal, in short succession, with about 18 minutes to play.
Each attempt was blocked or saved.
(PHOTOS: Ardrey Kell at Charlotte Catholic)
But finally, with 20.3 seconds left, the Knights tied the game, when freshman midfielder Rhyan Winnek scored from 20 yards out, off a pass from Makayla Rodriguez, and sent to the game into overtime — with Catholic mere seconds away from its first trip to the state championship game in 12 years.
In the first of two 10-minute overtime periods, Winnek scored the regional championship-winner with 4:13 left. And Tuesday was her 15th birthday.
“The fact that they never stopped fighting and got that goal is really special,” said 13th-year coach Kim Montgomery. “I don’t know if I’ve ever had a greater moment. And it was a little freshman scoring the goals — on her birthday.”
Winnek said there was “nothing better” than celebrating her 15th birthday playing in the Western N.C. 4A championship on a night where a steady rain began falling late in the first half and continued into the postgame celebration.
But for all but the final, frantic seconds of regulation, it appeared Charlotte Catholic would be the team celebrating.
The Cougars had that 1-0 lead and then Catholic and sophomore goalkeeper Fallon Leckner fended off one Ardrey Kell scoring threat after another, including those four shots within five yards of the goal in a 15-second stretch with 17 1/2 minutes left in the second half.
But the final result meant a heartbreaking end to the Cougars’ unbeaten season and a 22-1-1 overall record that left veteran coach Gary Hoilett’s team one step away from its first 4A state title game.
The Knights — a No. 12 seed in the West — have now beaten No. 5 West Forsyth, No. 4 Hough, No. 1 Hickory Ridge and No. 2 Catholic, all on the road in consecutive rounds.
THREE WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE
Rhyan Winnek, Ardrey Kell: Scored both goals for the Knights to give her 21 for the season.
Waleska Rugel Gonzalez, Ardrey Kell: The Knights’ goalkeeper and her defense kept the host Cougars scoreless for the final 82 1/2 minutes of the 100-minute game.
Mary Martin Spinner, Catholic: Scored the Cougars’ lone goal to give her 13 for the season.
NOTABLE
▪ As a No. 12 seed after losing the three-way draw with No. 8 seed Myers Park and No. 22 South Mecklenburg for the SoMeck 4A Conference, Ardrey Kell has won four straight road playoff games to advance to the state final.
▪ The Knights’ victory avenged a blowout 6-0 second-round home playoff loss to Catholic in the last meeting between the two schools.
▪ Catholic had previously advanced to seven state championship games — a 1997 runner-up finish in the old 1A/2A/3A classification, two titles and a runner-up finish in the old 1A/2A classification and one title and two runner-up finishes in Class 3A.
THEY SAID IT
“It just shows the level of grit that this team has. And you can’t coach that. They are just an unbelievable group. I told them before the game started that I didn’t want this to end. It’s one of those teams that you never want it to be over because you love coaching them so much.” - Ardrey Kell coach Kim Montgomery
LINESCORE
Ardrey Kell 0 1 1 0 - 2
Catholic 1 0 0 0 - 1
Scoring: AK- Goals: Rhyan Winnek, Assist: Makayla Rodriguez. Catholic- Goal: Mary Martin Spinner, Assist: Jordyn Miller.
Pine Lake Prep advances in 2A
Pine Lake Prep dominated previously unbeaten Shelby in the 2A Western Regional, winning 9-0.
Shelby (25-1) came into the game with four straight shutouts and hadn’t allowed more than three goals all season. Pine Lake Prep, ranked No. 20 nationally by MaxPreps, scored seven first half goals, improved to 12-0 at home and will face Franklin Academy (24-0) in the state finals at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Matthews Sportsplex.
Sadie Peterson had the big night for the Pride, scoring five goals and adding two assists. Avery Garrett had a goal and four assists, and Dahlia Wood added three assists.
Scoring single goals were Victoria Christiansen, Ansley Nixdorf and Tabitha Schmedes.
Madison Harris got the shutout in goal.
Pine Lake Prep lost to Seaforth in the 2024 state finals on penalty kicks.
Mountain Island Charter heads to 1A final
Mountain Island Charter shut out Christ the King 3-0 in the 1A Western regional final.
Christ The King was the three-time state champion.
After taking a 1-0 halftime lead, the Raptors put the game away with two second-half goals.
The Raptors followed the same script in each half, scoring a goal in the third minute. Their final goal came with 16 minutes remaining.
Mountain Island Charter takes a 10-game win streak into this week’s state championship game at Matthews Sportsplex against Wake Prep (15-7-1). The Raptors will make their first 1A finals appearance.
It was the third time this season that the Raptors beat Christ the King. Mountain Island Charter won by scores of 2-0 and 3-1 in the regular season.
Mountain Island Charter will face East champion Wake Prep at 11 a.m. Saturday for the state title. That match will be at the Matthews Sportsplex.
Tuesday’s victory included a special halftime ceremony for one Mountain Island Charter player, senior Carter Breath. She was named to the school’s Academic Hall of Fame. Awards ceremonies took place at the school Tuesday night, and Breath missed that event due to the soccer match. So she was honored at halftime by officials at the match.
NCHSAA regional soccer championships
CLASS 4A
Tuesday’s regional finals
WEST
Ardrey Kell 2, Charlotte Catholic 1 OT
EAST
Ashley 2, Millbrook 0
State championship
Friday or Saturday (day and time TBA), at Matthews SportsPlex
Ardrey Kell (22-3-4) vs. Ashley (22-2-2)
CLASS 3A
Monday’s regional finals
WEST
South Point 1, Lake Norman Charter 0
Tuesday’s regional finals
EAST
Western Alamance 1, Dixon 0
State championship
Friday or Saturday (day and time TBA), at Matthews SportsPlex
South Point (21-3-2) vs. Western Alamance (23-0-1)
CLASS 2A
Tuesday’s regional finals
WEST
Pine Lake Prep 9, Shelby 0
EAST
Franklin Academy 6, Roanoke Rapids 3
State championship
Friday or Saturday (day and time TBA), at Matthews SportsPlex
Pine Lake Prep (20-2) vs. Roanoke Rapids (24-0)
CLASS 1A
Tuesday’s regional finals
WEST
Mountain Island Charter 3, Christ The King 0
EAST
Wake Prep 1, Lejeune 0
State championship
Friday or Saturday (day and time TBA), at Matthews SportsPlex
Mountain Island Charter (19-5) vs. Wake Prep (15-7-1)
This story was originally published May 27, 2025 at 9:12 PM.
