Erik Spencer Hill | The Stokes News
West Stokes’ Jordan Moore (right) battles for the ball with Cuthbertson’s Ashton Duty (left) in the third round of 2A state playoffs at West Stokes High School on Wednesday night.
Erik Spencer Hill | The Stokes News
West Stokes’ Liz Nail defended the goal against several goal attempts through the game. She only let two goals slip through during regulation.
Erik Spencer Hill | The Stokes News
Lady Wildcats Leslie Bowen and Candace Gordon console each other after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Cuthbertson.
Cuthbertson struck early and late to down West Stokes 2-0 in the third round of state playoffs at West Stokes High School on Wednesday night.
Cuthbertson’s Cavaliers did not waste any time and sank one into the goal just six minutes into the first half.
The Lady Wildcats held off the Cavaliers for the rest of the first half and tried for their own goal. But, the Lady Wildcats could not seem to keep possession of the ball long enough to make anything happen.
At halftime, the Cavaliers led 1-0. In the brief halftime break, Lady Wildcats Coach Chris Manley urged his team to make smarter passes and not play “panicky.”
In the second half, the Lady Wildcats worked hard and got hold of the ball more than in the first half. But, the team could not seem to break through Cuthbertson’s nigh impenetrable defense.
With just a few minutes left in the game, Cuthbertson’s Emily Weisberg blasted one last shot in the goal, which brought the final score to 2-0.
In the final minutes, West Stokes had a few promising pushes down field toward the goal, but they could not sink a clean shot.
West Stokes’ defender Leslie Bowen said that it was hard to play against Cuthbertson, a team that has a possessive style of play.
“We’re not used to having them right on our backs,” she said. “We are used to being able to turn and attack.”
As a senior, Bowen was visibly emotional after the game. For Bowen and other seniors on the team, Wednesday night was the last time to hit the pitch.
“I don’t think it hit any of us until the buzzer,” she said. “Everyone played hard until the last minute. I’m thankful for having a team that is encouraging and keeps their heads up.”
West Stokes ends its season with a record of 16-4-3.
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