Burlington Wins State Cup Crown!
Kneeling left to right - Whitney Tranbarger, Allison Ester, Kelsey Cathey, Sharae Hallaji
Second Row - Helen Powell, Taylor Dawson, Jenn Bass
Standing - Erin Parker, Allyson Gibson, Allison Yow, Coach Taylor Saxe, Chandler Kellum, Katie Nakhle, Jenna Koester, Laura Cooper, Anne Workman, Lizzy Koury.
Not pictured - Danyell Detomo
Sharae Hallaji’s goal six minutes into the second half gave the Burlington Soccer Club Under-15 Girls a 1-0 win over the Winston-Salem Lady Twins Blue and the 2006 NCYSA Presidents State Cup championship Sunday afternoon in High Point. The State Cup title is the first ever for a Burlington team.
The win over the Twins avenged a 1-0 Burlington loss in the preliminary round of the State Cup on Oct. 29 in Statesville and capped off an impressive 14-2-3 season, highlighted by a six-game run to the State Cup crown.
Behind stellar goalkeeping from Taylor Dawson, 13th-seeded Burlington held the top-seeded Twins scoreless throughout the first half. Three minutes into the second half, however, BSC was called for a handball inside its own penalty area. But Winston-Salem’s shooter launched the penalty kick over the crossbar.
Given new life, Burlington’s offense, led by Jenn Bass, Laura Cooper, Ann Workman and Katie Nakhle, put the Twins under pressure. Three minutes after the missed penalty kick, Hallaji nailed a 25-yard shot from the right side of the penalty area over the outstretched arms of the Twins goalkeeper and into the upper left corner of the net.
The final 34 minutes of the match were played a hectic pace with Winston-Salem pushing for the equalizer. But a solid team defense, led by Chandler Kellum, Helen Powell, Kelsey Cathey, Erin Parker, Allison Ester and Allison Yow, turned away numerous attempts by the Twins, and Dawson gathered up every loose ball in her area to secure the win
In the six State Cup games, Burlington, coached by Elon University goalkeeper Taylor Saxe, allowed just two goals while scoring 12. With the win, BSC advances to the Presidents Cup Regional in Tampa, Fla., June 8-10.
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