Cardinal Gibbons (NC) Girls capture their third NCHSAA soccer state championship; topping Ardrey Kell in PKs

CARY, NC – If they can’t score, you can’t lose.

Despite an overwhelming advantage in shots (31-7) and shots on goal (17-4) the Ardrey Kell girls soccer team could only manage one goal in regulation time of Saturday’s North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A girls soccer state championship game in Cary.

That inability to score against 23rd-seeded Cardinal Gibbons saw the Knights end up in overtime and ultimately penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw, and the upstart Crusaders earned their third state crown, and first in the 4A ranks, with a 4-2 advantage in the PKs.

The result came down to the incredible goalkeeping of Rhian Lawrence, a junior star on the Cardinal Gibbons basketball team who only took over as the starting goalie at mid-season this spring. Lawrence made 15 saves in the contest and then stopped two penalty kicks to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

In the 62nd minute of regulation, Gibbons got on the board when Lily Pryzwansky unleashed a 35-yard shot, after a steal near midfield, that looped over the keeper and into the goal. Ardrey Kell finally broke through against Lawrence, 16 minutes later, when Taylor Suarez banged a feed from Carly Montgomery into the lower right corner for the equalizer.

In the two overtime periods neither side create many opportunities so it was on to penalty strokes.

The two earlier goals scorers, Pryzwansky and Suarez, each scored in leading off for their respective teams. Sydney Hennesen then made it two straight for Gibbons, but Lawrence thwarted an attempt by the Knights’ Ellie Herrman as she guessed correctly on a shot towards the right post.

Each team hit their next shot and Gibbons hit its fourth as well. That gave Lawrence a chance to close out the win in the fourth round and she did. Ardrey Kell’s Ellie Newman took a hard shot, slightly left of center, and Lawrence calmly tipped it over the bar to seal the victory.