Ardrey Kell, Catholic to make a little history in regional girls’ soccer final

With 21 Mecklenburg County state championship-winning girls soccer teams and 19 others that have advanced to the title game, many local fans have come to expect postseason success from the county this time of year, particularly in the 4A classification.

Yet when unbeaten Charlotte Catholic (22-0-1) hosts Tuesday night’s 2025 Western N.C. championship game against Ardrey Kell (21-3-4), it’ll mark the first time since 2014 that it has featured an all-Mecklenburg matchup.

When the sport began in 1986 in the county and the N.C. High School Athletic Association began holding playoffs, Myers Park was the first team to make to a regional final. The ‘86 Mustangs lost to eventual state champion Greensboro Page on their home field.

Seven teams in the next 10 years would advance to the regional final only to be turned away every time by powers of that era such as Page, Greensboro Grimsley and North Forsyth.

In 1997, not only did Providence break through in the 4A classification, Charlotte Catholic won the old Western Class 1A/2A/3A title to give the county its first two state finalists; Providence would win the 4A state title with Catholic finishing as runner-up.

Soon thereafter, Mecklenburg County began owning the Western 4A regional and even had Class 4A county-on-county championship games in 2001, 2008 and 2009 and every year from 2011 through 2014.

On Tuesday, Catholic will seek its eighth appearance in the state championship while keeping its hopes of an unbeaten season alive while Ardrey Kell pursues its sixth appearance — and third appearance in four years.

Both teams are guided by veteran coaches — 28th-year Catholic girls coach Gary Hoilett (who also has coached the Cougars’ boys team for 19 seasons) and 13th-year Knights coach Kim Montgomery.

“There’s always pressure,” Hoilett said. “I ask my players to come out and compete. Every game, in my opinion, is different. So the approach and how it unfolds can be different.”

Catholic is the No. 2 seed in the Western 4A bracket and has already won four straight home games — 6-1 over Butler, 7-1 over Skyland Roberson, 2-1 over defending 4A champion Marvin Ridge and 4-1 over Weddington.

The Cougars, ranked No. 15 nationally by MaxPreps, have a youthful team with only three seniors and two juniors as starters.

Senior forward Jordyn Miller (21 goals, 4 assists), sophomore forward Savanna Leckner (19 goals, 9 assists), junior midfielder/forward Mary Martin Spinner (12 goals, 14 assists), sophomore forward Anne Gonyea (12 goals, 3 assists) and freshman forward Tess Truxillo (10 goals, 11 assists) led the Cougars’ offense, which has led the team to a 112-9 goal differential this season.

Despite its recent strong pedigree, Ardrey Kell was given a No. 12 seeding after losing a three-way drawing with No. 8 seed Myers Park and No. 22 seed South Mecklenburg for the SoMeck 4A Conference title.

The Knights, ranked No. 34 nationally, won at home in the first round over Cuthbertson (2-1), then won three straight road games — at West Forsyth (2-1), at Hough (2-0) and at No. 1-seeded Hickory Ridge (2-0).

The three road playoff victories match the total number of road victories by Ardrey Kell in the previous 10 playoff runs combined.

Sophomore forward Makayla Rodriguez (28 goals, 12 assists), freshman midfielder Rhyan Winnek (19 goals, 19 assists), senior midfielder Ellie Riechman (17 goals, 15 assists) and senior midfielder Brooke Watts (13 goals, 9 assists) lead the Knights’ offense, which has a 115-17 goal differential this season.

“It feels amazing,” Riechman said. “It’s been very rewarding and we realize you can never take anything for granted.

“Honestly I think it helped us to be a lower seed and playing on the road. I think any loss kind of humbles you and makes you realize what you have to work on.”