BOYS' SOCCER: WCDS advances to NCISAA 1A state final

By Ben Coley
Published in Sports on October 26, 2016 9:57 AM

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bcoley@newsargus.com

In Tuesday's N.C. Independent School Athletic Association 1-A semifinal, Wayne Country Day's speed and shiftiness quickly wore on the Cape Fear Christian players.

The looks on the Eagles' faces said it all.

Bodies were hunched over, hands were placed on heads and sprints were turned into jogs. WCDS showcased a motor that seemed impossible to shut off.

The No. 1-seeded Chargers -- in an unrelenting, yet disciplined manner -- left no doubt in their 4-1 victory over Cape Fear. And the team's award -- a second consecutive trip to the state finals. WCDS will face second-seeded Greenfield on its home pitch Saturday.

Kickoff is 1:45 p.m.

"It feels great," said WCDS head coach Steve Ellis, regarding the title berth. "The boys have put in a lot of work all season, last season and the season before that. We're now seeing the benefits of the work."

As one would expect from an 18-2 team and No. 4 seed, Cape Fear did match the Chargers step for step in the opening minutes. The time spent on the offensive attack was split evenly, but that all changed in the 31st minute.

Wayne Country Day's Nehemiya Shaw dribbled along the edge of the box and then tapped the ball to teammate Hunter Bryson. The junior rifled the ball just beyond the goalie's hands and into the net.

Bryson's goal was simply a foreshadowing of what was to come.

Just one minute into the second half, Ben Cohen stole the ball from a Cape Fear defender. Standing about 25 yards way, Cohen slammed the ball past the Eagles' goalkeeper for WCDS' second goal.

"I just saw the shot and hoped for the best," Cohen said. "Three minutes later, Shaw, along with a few Cape Fear players, tracked an airborne ball headed toward the 18-yard box.

The freshman striker beat every player to the ball, gathered himself and booted a no-doubter past the Eagles' goalkeeper.

"Probably passing the ball more," said Cohen, noting the second-half surge. "More off-the-ball movement, and we worked hard as a team."

Cohen later added a goal in the 78th minute, but the match was academic at that point.

Now the Chargers look toward Greenfield, a conference rival they know all too well. The teams split the two regular-season meetings, with each winning on the opponent's home turf.

Eight of the past nine games between WCDS and Greenfield have been decided by two goals or less. The Chargers defeated the Knights 1-0 in last year's state semifinal.

Ellis expects Saturday's championship game to play out as it usually does with Greenfield -- teeming with tension and overflowing with pressure.

"(Last year) the 'final' was the semifinal," Ellis said. "So we knew it'd be an easier final. This year, if it goes as we think it will, it will be a tough final. But I think mentally, the physical aspect of (Tuesday's) game will do us well."