The Rocky Mount Academy girls soccer team is back in the final four for the third straight season.
The Eagles remained unbeaten (18-0) with a 6-0 shutout over Burlington Christian Academy in the quarterfinals of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association Division 2A playoffs at home on Monday night.
RMA, the No. 2 seed, advances to the state semifinals on Thursday where it will face No. 3 seed Davidson Day (16-3), the team that ended the Eagles’ perfect season in last year’s final four on its way to state championship.
RMA’s focus on defense was BCA’s top offensive player, senior Bailey Cook, who came into the match having collected 47 goals in 18 matches.
Speedy defenders Juhee Desai and Chloe Achilles combined to shut down Cook, limiting her to only a handful of shots. When shots were attempted, RMA goalkeeper McKenna Rogers was there to make numerous stops to keep the shutout intact.
Isabella Daza started the scoring for the Eagles when she worked her way through the middle of the box and sent a shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead with 33:41 remaining in the first half.
It didn’t take long for the home team to add to its advantage.
Hannah Garris made a nice run on the right side and crossed to Taylor Carmichael for a goal at 31:20 to put the Eagles ahead 2-0.
At the 8:22 mark of the first half, Carmichael rifled a shot high out of the reach of the BCA keeper for a 3-0 RMA lead.
A little more than five minutes later, the Royals had their best chance of the half to score when Cook worked her way toward the box. Rogers came out to meet her and blocked the point-blank shot with her upper body, but the ball spun away from Eagle defenders and made it through the far side of the box. Achilles moved quickly to the ball and cleared it to help save the shutout.
BCA amped up its aggressive play on offense early in the second half as Adalynn House sent a shot that Rogers snagged less than a minute in.
Millar Berry made a nice pass to Daza, whose goal with 26:34 remaining in the match put RMA ahead 4-0.
Just 72 seconds later, Berry hit then post from the right side, but the ball deflected to Daza, who scored her second goal to make it 5-0 with 25:22 remaining.
Cook had three other chances to score with nice runs down the field. Achilles cleared one opportunity, Desai chased her down to save another shot and Rogers dove left for a deflected save with just over 21 minutes remaining.
Daza recorded her third goal at 17:46 to complete the scoring for the Eagles.
Daza finished with a hat trick (three goals) and an assist for RMA while Carmichael added two goals and an assist and Garris provided a goal and an assist. Berry (two assists) and Grace Bone (assist), in addition to Britt Gaynor, Matti Achilles, Jenna Crowder and others, were also solid for the Eagles.
Northern Nash 4 Swansboro 2 (2OT)
Northern Nash, the co-regular season champion in the Big East 2A/3A Conference, needed 100 minutes to advance to the second round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
The No. 9 seeded Knights (15-5) scored two goals in the second overtime session to eliminate No. 24 seed Swansboro at home in the first round on Monday.
Northern is set to play at No. 8 seed Cape Fear (19-4-1) in the second round today.
The teams were tied 2-2 at the half and remained tied for 50 more minutes before Northern struck for the winning goals in the second OT.
Bailey Powell and Griffin Webb each recorded two goals for Northern Nash. Powell dished out two assists while Webb had one.
Dixon 3, Southern Nash 1
Southern Nash’s season ended at 14-6 overall as the No. 21 seed following a loss at Dixon in the first round of the Class 3A state playoffs on Monday night.
Dixon, the No. 12 seed, improved to 15-3-2 overall and will play at No. 9 seed Union Pines in the second round.
Trask 3, Nash Central 2
Nash Central’s girls soccer season came to an end at 9-9 overall as the No. 24 seed after a one-goal loss to Heide Trask in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs on Monday night in Rocky Point.
Kaylee Faile collected both goals on seven shots for the Bulldogs, while Addison Roughton, Kaylee Summerlin, Mary-Kate Bulluck each added a pair of steals on defense. Madison Brogers had five shots on offense and Ashelyne Lynch chipped in with two shots.
Isaura Lopez-Jimenez notched 13 saves in goal.
Trask improved to 16-5-1 as the No. 9 seed and the Titans will play in the second round today at No. 8 seed Princeton.
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