WCDS posts another clean sheet in NCISAA 1A girls soccer playoffs

By Allen Etzler
Published in Sports on May 12, 2014 1:48 PM

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aetzler@newsargus.com

As Wayne Country Day forward Margaret Tanner streaked down the sideline Saturday afternoon, she saw something she's not used to seeing this season.

A teammate.

Tanner has spent most of the season being the only forward playing up top for the Chargers, so she's grown accustomed to having to try and take on defenses by herself.

But during Saturday's opening-round game in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A girls' soccer playoffs, the Chargers employed the strategy to get more midfielders and defenders going toward the goal.

Tanner found seventh-grader Langley Barnes with a through ball just inside the 18-yard box and Barnes put it away for a 1-0 lead against Carmel Christian.

The Chargers eventually won 3-0 and get a rematch with once-beaten Grace Christian of Sanford in quarterfinal-round play Tuesday. The teams played to a scoreless draw in their previous meeting less than four weeks ago.

"It was a lot nicer than usual (to have midfielders push up)," Tanner said. "I had people I could work with and we could pass it and I didn't have to go through a bunch of people."

With the midfielders pushing forward it left Tanner more open to operate.

Wide open.

In the 52nd minute, Allison Bailey sent a corner into the box to Tanner, who was left unmarked and took advantage. She got in position and sent a diving header into the upper left-hand corner of the goal for a 2-0 lead.

With the offense pushing forward, the back line and defensive midfielders had an increased importance of staying solid and communicating. "The bus," as the team calls the defense, struggled a bit in the first half, but senior goalkeeper Bailee Creger kept the ball out of the net with saves on three good Carmel Christian opportunities.

Creger made 12 saves in the game. The defense, led by senior captain Mollie Catherine McDonald and Bailey, stepped up in the second half and conceded just two chances -- one on a free kick.

"Defense started off slow in the first half but they stepped up in the second half," assistant coach Tim Hall said. "Our big thing is keeping people to nil, clean sheets ... and we did it again today. We just need to keep parking 'the bus' in front of the goal."

It was the Chargers 12th clean sheet of the season in 14 games.

Bailey nearly found the net in the 70th minute from about 40 yards out when she sent a booming kick at that goal that knocked off the crossbar. Taylor Willman was in position for the rebound, but her shot went wide.

"I wanted it to go in so bad," Bailey said. "I thought it was in as soon as I kicked it."

The Chargers (9-3-3 overall) struck again in the 75th minute. Off a turnover, the back line pushed the ball to Taylor Willman, who dribbled to the middle of the box and passed to Tanner. Tanner chipped the goalkeeper with her shot for the final goal.