Rosewood-Princeton soccer

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 24, 2012 1:48 PM

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Rosewood didn't exactly enjoy sharing the Carolina 1-A Conference girls' soccer championship with a pair of rivals a year ago.

The Eagles don't plan on doing it again.

Rosewood took a step towards ensuring it doesn't have to share the conference title this season with a 2-0 victory over Princeton on Monday night at Branch Pope Field. The Eagles, Bulldogs and Goldsboro split the conference championship in 2011.

Each team had multiple scoring chances in the first half.

Rosewood's Cory Smith had a point-blank shot saved by Princeton keeper Amber Hill in the 11th minute. The Eagles threatened again a minute later as Marissa Hill's header off Samantha Allen's corner kick sailed wide.

The Bulldogs failed to score on corner kicks in the ninth and 23rd minutes.

Hill's shot in the 34th minute was turned away by Amber Hill. Both teams recorded three shots on goal in the opening 40 minutes and Princeton held a 4-3 edge in corner kicks.

Rosewood keeper Rionna Allen kept the game scoreless in the 59th minute by charging off the goal line and taking the ball away from the Bulldogs' Jessica Brush inside the 18-yard box. Allen needed every inch of her frame to make a fingertip save on Brush's high, tailing shot in the 61st minute.

Allen finished with four saves.

"Our keeper stepped up, too," Eagles' senior Rachyle McAlduff said of Allen. "There were a couple that were tough to get to, but she played her game tonight."

Marissa Hill's second attempt in the game -- a header off a corner kick from Allen -- found the back of the net in the 63rd minute. It was Hill's sixth goal of the season.

"We scored off of corner kicks twice in another game so I was just waiting for it," Hill said. "I hit it and I just had a feeling it was going in. It's just a great feeling. You still have to work your butt off. I couldn't stop looking at the clock to see how fast it was ticking down."

Smith's goal in the 80th minute off Logan Bill's assist put the game away.

"When Logan gave me that ball it was just magic," Smith said. "It was definitely a big relief off of us when we got that first goal."

Amber Hill tallied six saves.

"We had plenty of opportunities and we just didn't do anything," Princeton head coach Trent Heil said. "When you're one-on-one with the goalie you've got to put the ball somewhere. Next time we play them we'll put some more shots on goal. That's a promise."

The Bulldogs (9-6-1 overall, 2-1-0 CC) entertain Goldsboro on Wednesday, while Rosewood (5-4-2, 3-0-0) plays host to Spring Creek.