Ardrey Kell knocks off South Meck in OT, advances in 8A soccer playoffs
Ardrey Kell defeated its Charlotte rival South Mecklenburg in overtime Thursday, sending the Knights to the third round of the NCHSAA Class 8A men’s soccer state tournament.
Senior forward Matthew Kulyak scored the winner in the first of two overtime periods, making a penalty shot to give the fourth-seeded Knights (16-4-4) the 2-1 victory over the No. 5 Sabres (16-6-4).
“We come out here, go to overtime, I score that penalty kick to win the game,” Kulyak said. “Couldn’t be better, to be honest. Ecstatic.
“I love our fans. We were loud as hell (Thursday). I absolutely love their passion, and it helped us, it was our 12th man. That penalty I knew I was gonna score, and I knew I was going to run over to them. Just a beautiful feeling.”
How Ardrey Kell beat South Meck in OT
Both sides had offensive chances early.
South Meck junior Thomas Lyle missed a shot wide right on a strong possession. Sabres junior Connor Miller headed a penalty kick toward the goal late in the first half, but it fell away from the cage.
The Knights broke through with 55 seconds until halftime.
Junior forward Grant Hagins scored his fifth goal of the season to give Ardrey Kell a 1-0 lead, off the assist from senior forward Dylan Davis.
The Sabres evened it up on a penalty shot early in the second half. Lyle struck the open shot toward the side, and it rattled off the cage but was ruled to have crossed the plane.
Ardrey Kell powered itself downfield and near a scoring opportunity inside of 10 minutes remaining in the second half, but senior Hayden Hanson’s header missed.
The sides headed to overtime, and the Knights drew a penalty shot a little over two minutes into the initial extra 10-minute period. The student section moved to the other end of the bleachers to watch the star striker attempt to give Ardrey Kell the lead.
Kulyak nailed it.
South Meck peppered Ardrey Kell senior goalie Miles Sugar with shots during the final minutes, but Sugar came up with multiple clutch saves.
Notable
- The Knights defeated the Sabres during the regular season, posting a 2-1 win Aug. 28 at home.
- South Meck eliminated Ardrey Kell in each of the past two playoffs, winning on a penalty kick to settle a scoreless draw in 2023 before a 2-0 win in last year’s first round.
- Kulyak leads the Southwestern 7A/8A conference with 76 points (35 goals).
He said it
“We’re amazing. We’re flying. We’ve got a great attack, probably the best attack in the state,” Kulyak said. “I love our defense. When we can hold it down — some games you have some silly mistakes — but when we hold it down like we did (Thursday), we can’t be beaten. I promise.”
What’s next for Ardrey Kell?
The Knights advance to the third round of the 8A state tournament, where they will play the winner of Thursday’s match between top-seeded Myers Park and Northwest Guilford.
