Ardrey Kell girls soccer team: A force to be reckoned with
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Not many people have the privilege to say they won a state championship in high school. Even fewer have the privilege to say they played back-to-back state championships in high school. Thanks to Ardrey Kell Women’s Soccer, I am able to say both. For the past three years, I’ve gained a family through the AKWS program. From eating lunch together to team sleepovers, the culture of the team is unlike any other team I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone gets along and is so supportive of one another; being a part of this team truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The 2022 season was a fever dream. We knew we were a really good team with a shot to win the state championship, but it still felt like a long shot. The program hadn’t won a state championship yet, so it was one thing believing we could put ourselves in a position to claim the program’s first state championship, and another to live the journey that got us there. It felt like everything was going right for us. The hard work we put in during the off-season and what we did at practices put us in a position to be successful throughout the season. We finished the regular season as Conference Champions. I still remember the moment we found out on the activity bus, the way the bus echoed with our screams of joy and shook with our jumps. Then, as a number two seed in playoffs, we had to battle our way against some of the strongest teams in the west region to secure the title of Regional Champions in a 3-2 win over Page.
This time, we got to share our joy with our support system: our families and the student fanbase. It was surreal seeing students storming the field after the game to celebrate our win with us. We ran under tunnels and jumped in a mosh pit with the biggest smiles on our faces. We had a shot at claiming the next and final big title: North Carolina Women’s Soccer 4A State Champions.
In what was an even match against Cardinal Gibbons, we started the game dominant with multiple shots on goal, none of which found the back of the net. In the second half, we fell behind when they scored a shot from distance. As time passed, you could feel the tension, the stress of everyone knowing we were almost out of time until finally, a long-awaited goal was secured by striker Taylor Suarez. It was a magical moment; our dream was still within reach. The goal breathed new life into the team as we approached overtime. We were so close and yet we fell short, losing the game in penalty kicks. Our “Cinderella season” didn’t finish with the happily ever after we had hoped for. We were forced to settle for the title: North Carolina Women’s Soccer 4A State Runner-ups.
Following last year’s championship, the more time that passed, the more the frustration set in. As Coach Kim Montgomery often said, we had to wait eight months to play another game and feel like ourselves again; eight months of restlessness, excitement, and hard work until we played our season opener against Weddington. We were essentially the same team as last season, if anything, we were a stronger team. Yet this season felt different. There was a newfound sense of pressure we hadn’t felt before because we knew everyone expected great things from us again this season.
We started the season strong with the best starting record in AKWS history but soon lost more games than we had the previous season. To add insult to injury, the three games we lost were all a 2-1 deficit, with our opponents’ winning goal coming in the final ten minutes of the game. After noticing this pattern, our coaches, Kim Montgomery and Heather Frelin changed the style of practice. We needed to simulate finishing a game with intensity, so the end of practice had to be more intense than the beginning.
This change proved effective, as we claimed the title of Conference Champions in our last conference game in a huge 4-1 win against Myers Park. There was something different about the way we were playing; it was as if we all collectively said, “we refuse to lose this game.” The energy we had was only like one other game we’d played in before: our 4-0 win against Hoggard. When playoffs came, we sat at a 6 seed this year and had very similar matchups to our playoff games last year. The energy, defiance, and excitement from the Myers Park game carried us through playoffs all the way to another West Regional Champions title where we beat out the number 1 seed, Weddington, 7-0.
Just like that, we had made it back to the state championship. We were facing Ashley, one of the three teams we had lost to all season. Before the game in the locker room, I told Coach Montgomery that I was nervous. I had felt nervous before each of our playoff games, but this was different. I was nervous for what came after the final whistle blew. As a senior who chose not to continue my soccer journey into college, whatever happened tonight was the way I would walk away from my beloved sport. Coach Montgomery told me that no matter what happened tonight, we were prepared. We had been in this position before and the most important thing was that I enjoyed myself and left the field proud of the way I played with no regrets. Everything else would take care of itself. So, that’s what I did. I enjoyed the journey, walking through the school to the cheers from students wishing us luck. I enjoyed our pregame music in the University of North Carolina Greensboro locker room as we danced and got ready for the game. I enjoyed how the team environment felt more relaxed and confident this time around. Just like last year, we came out dominant at the start of the game and put a chance away early in the game. Yet Ashley, being an incredibly talented team, did not stay without a goal for long.
Going into halftime tied, our conversation was positive. We were doing all the right things, with only a few minor details to clean up. We still felt like we were in control. In the second half, Ally Casey proved just how much control she had. She took over the game, scoring our second goal. We were dominant yet again until Ashley was awarded a penalty kick. On the sidelines, Coach Montgomery asked the question we were all thinking, “what just happened?” An accidental, blatant handball in the box. Looking back on it, everyone laughs at what happened, but in the moment it was nerve-racking. Ashley had just tied the game 2-2 with a PK. But yet again, MVP Ally Casey was able to muster up another goal to put us ahead 3-2. The last ten minutes of the game were the most stressful of the entire game. All we had to do was prevent them from taking any shots, scoring any goals, and we would accomplish our dream.
Watching the clock and the final seconds of the game tick down, I felt tears in my eyes. We had done it. We had just made history and even better, I had done it with some of the girls I had grown up with since I was eight years old. It was the most pure joy I had ever felt as we tackled one another in a massive dog pile in the middle of the field. There were so many tears, smiles, and photos that night. The ride home was bittersweet. We had done it and now, it was over. For some, there would be next season, but for me, I would have to move on. AKWS will always be a big part of who I am, as I am so thankful for the memories and friendships this family has provided me with.
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