Class 6A Girls Soccer Playoffs: Fairhope 7, Northview 1
David Lee | al.com, April 27, 2013 6 p.m.
FAIRHOPE, Alabama - Rachel Kibler scored a pair of goals while six players overall scored for host Fairhope to help lead the Pirates to a 7-1 victory over visiting Northview in a Class 6A first round sub-state match Saturday afternoon.
Fairhope now heads to Enterprise on Tuesday for a Class 6A second round sub-state match.
Pirates coach Courtney Calhoun said her team was ready to play.
"We came out strong and kept at them," said Calhoun, whose team improved to 12-2-3 with the triumph. "We put pressure on every ball and we played our game."
Cougars coach Jay Bruner said Fairhope was tough.
"They're a good team, I don't want to take anything away from them," said Bruner, whose team finished with an 8-7-1 record. "They do a really good job of spreading things out. We had some opportunities but we just didn't capitalize on them. I'm proud of my girls, they hustled until the end. I have some great girls, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world."
Fairhope wasted no time in taking control of the match as Kibler drilled a ball into the back of the net after an assist from Darian Hill at the 37:53 mark of the first half.
"The thing about it is they scored in the first two and a half minutes against us," said Bruner. "When a team does that, it changes the complexion of the game. When you get to the playoffs, you have to play your A game. We didn't start off playing our A game and it took us a little while before we started to do that."
During that time, Emma Walker booted an unassisted kick that bounced off the keeper's hands into the back of the net with 19:14 to go before halftime that made it 2-0. Abbey Volk took a pass from Anne Barre and kicked it into the back of the net to make it 3-0 with 13:32 left and Blayne Newsome had an impressive goal from 20 yards out into the right corner of the net past Northview keeper Jordan Gatlin to put the Pirates ahead 4-0 at the intermission.
The Cougars bounced back with 35:39 left in the second half when Holly Baker drilled a goal into the back of the net to trim Fairhope's lead to 4- 1.
"That goal was a shot in the arm for us," said Bruner.
Fairhope responded almost immediately though as Kibler booted a ball into the net with an assist from Newsome to make it 5-1 Pirates with 34:09 left in the game.
"I had told them after Northview scored their goal that we were going to have to play 100 percent every minute of the second half no matter what happens," said Calhoun.
Fairhope then added two more goals as Hill drilled the ball into the back of the net from the right side to make it 6-1 while eighth grader Elise Terral had a header over the keeper's head from a couple of yards out that went into the net to make it 7-1 Pirates.
"Beth Tuttle, our keeper, did a great job this afternoon," said Calhoun. "She had four or five great saves. I'm very proud of my girls, they have worked very hard this season. Hopefully, we can keep it going when we go to Enterprise on Tuesday."
We had some opportunities but we just didn't capitalize on them. I'm proud of my girls, they hustled until the end. I have some great girls, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world."
Fairhope wasted no time in taking control of the match as Kibler drilled a ball into the back of the net after an assist from Darian Hill at the 37:53 mark of the first half.
"The thing about it is they scored in the first two and a half minutes against us," said Bruner. "When a team does that, it changes the complexion of the game. When you get to the playoffs, you have to play your A game. We didn't start off playing our A game and it took us a little while before we started to do that."
During that time, Emma Walker booted an unassisted kick that bounced off the keeper's hands into the back of the net with 19:14 to go before halftime that made it 2-0. Abbey Volk took a pass from Anne Barre and kicked it into the back of the net to make it 3-0 with 13:32 left and Blayne Newsome had an impressive goal from 20 yards out into the right corner of the net past Northview keeper Jordan Gatlin to put the Pirates ahead 4-0 at the intermission.
The Cougars bounced back with 35:39 left in the second half when Holly Baker drilled a goal into the back of the net to trim Fairhope's lead to 4- 1.
"That goal was a shot in the arm for us," said Bruner.
Fairhope responded almost immediately though as Kibler booted a ball into the net with an assist from Newsome to make it 5-1 Pirates with 34:09 left in the game.
"I had told them after Northview scored their goal that we were going to have to play 100 percent every minute of the second half no matter what happens," said Calhoun.
Fairhope then added two more goals as Hill drilled the ball into the back of the net from the right side to make it 6-1 while eighth grader Elise Terral had a header over the keeper's head from a couple of yards out that went into the net to make it 7-1 Pirates.
"Beth Tuttle, our keeper, did a great job this afternoon," said Calhoun. "She had four or five great saves. I'm very proud of my girls, they have worked very hard this season. Hopefully, we can keep it going when we go to Enterprise on Tuesday."
