“We’re still in the running for a playoff spot,” coach Charles Purvis said. “We just need some good things to happen.”
After going 1-1-1 through the past week, the Mustangs are sitting on the edge of earning one of the three playoff spots awarded the Yadkin Valley Conference. North Moore is 6-6-1 overall, and 4-4-1 in the conference.
The North Moore program is only in its third year of existence.
Perhaps the biggest surge in the Mustangs late-season ramble to the playoffs was an exciting 3-2 win over South Stanly last Wednesday.
Spurred by a hat trick from freshman Sherry Ross, and a challenge from coach Purvis at halftime, the Mustangs picked up the comeback win that kept them in the playoff hunt. The Rebels had a 2-1 halftime lead in the match played in Robbins.
“We didn’t play particularly well in the first half,” Purvis said. “I challenged them at halftime to go out and play like I knew they could. They responded and played inspired soccer in that second half.”
Ross scored the winning goal with four minutes left in the game. After Naomi Miller took the ball from her halfback position nearly two-thirds of the field, she dumped it to Ross, who beat the Rebels goaltender on a one-on-one move.
“She scored all three of her goals on one-on-one moves,” Purvis said. “It was an amazing night for any player, not to mention a freshman.”
The assists on the other two goals came from Whitney Richardson and Sandy Boles.
In a 1-1 tie at Jordan-Matthews earlier in the week, the Mustangs almost won the game in regulation when a shot by Carla Purvis missed going in by just inches, coach Purvis said.
Carla Purvis didn’t miss in the first 10-minute period of overtime when she slammed a direct kick in the back of the net from about 25 yards away to get the first score of the scoreless conference battle.
Her shot cleared the goaltender’s hands and got under the cross bar by inches.
In the second overtime, the Jets tied the game with a little under three minutes left. They scored the tying goal on a direct kick after North Moore was called for a handball in the box.
“Morgan Sessoms was outstanding in goal,” Purvis said. “She pitched a shutout until the final minutes.”
On a rainy night and a wet field, the Mustangs suffered a 9-2 loss to visiting Albemarle on Monday.
But Purvis found some good in the conference setback to the state’s seventh-ranked 1-A squad. And once again it came in the form of a challenge.
“After we gave up seven first-half goals,” coach Purvis said, “I challenged the girls at halftime not to let them get 10 goals. I wanted to hold them to no more than two goals. And in the second half we had a great effort. Morgan Sessoms, although the score might not reflect it, had some great saves. Defenders were slipping all over the wet field and she made some great one-on-one stops.”
One Albemarle player who seemed able to handle the wet conditions was Page Harrington, coach Purvis said. He noted that Harrington, who some consider one of the elite players in the state, was able to move and handle the ball really well on the wet grass, and kept the Mustang defenders off-balanced all through the contest.
But Purvis also pointed out that the Mustangs were the first conference team to break through the Albemarle defense this season, scoring the first two goals the visitors had given up this conference season.
The first goal came from Elizabeth Stewart about 20 minutes into the contest. Not only was it the first goal Albemarle gave up, it was also the first goal of Stewart’s varsity career.
The second goal came on a penalty kick that Carla Purvis buried in the top of the goal.
North Moore has one regular-season match left when it travels to West Davidson tonight for a 6:30 p.m. contest.
