How seniors helped Smoky Mountain soccer win first NCHSAA playoff since 2017
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SYLVA — Smoky Mountain girls soccer peppered the North Gaston goalkeeper with shot after shot in the first half.
The few times North Gaston didn’t make the save, the ball ricocheted off every part of the goal but the back of the net.
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In the 21st minute, the Mustangs thought they broke through.
Macy Craft slid one into the back of the goal on a breakaway.
The assistant referee waved it off. Offsides.
Two minutes before halftime, Isabel Brun found Ali Klaire Nicholson running free down the right sideline. Nicholson flicked it over the goalkeeper’s head and into the left corner of the goal.
That opened the floodgates for Smoky Mountain. The Mustangs (13-9-2) added five more in the second half to secure the 6-0 win over No. 23 North Gaston (4-12-3) on May 11 in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 5A playoffs.
They will face No. 7 Forestview (17-2-1) in the second round on May 14.
It was Smoky Mountain's first playoff victory since 2017.
“It’s a dream,” coach Abby Buenting said. “The girls have worked so hard since Thanksgiving, and it finally has paid off for them.”
Smoky Mountain’s ability to not falter when shots weren’t falling was a sign of growth for the team. It encountered a similar situation on April 7 against West Henderson. It attacked the goalkeeper with shots in the first half, but none went in.
West Henderson scored a goal right before halftime on the counterattack and eventually won 2-1 in overtime.
“It’s perseverance, isn’t it?” Buenting said. “You can get frustrated and bail out easy, but it’s hard to stay the course.”
The program has eight seniors, including Nicholson, whose goal was her fifth of the season. Craft, a junior, said the leadership of the senior class helped Smoky Mountain persist in the first half.
“They are always talking, having fun at practice and making it more enjoyable,” Craft said.
Buenting had the team over at her house a few weeks ago as they all prepared to go to prom. Her voice began to break as she talked about the seniors.
“This one is personal for them,” she said. “They love each other, they love the game. It seems to have finally paid off, all the touches, all the hours.”
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Seniors fuel Smoky Mountain soccer's first NCHSAA playoff win since 2017