Warlassies open playoffs with home victory
Owen outlasts Providence Grove, 1-0, in overtime
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 16, 2023
A regulation match was not enough to determine a winner, May 15, when the No. 16 Warlassies hosted No. 17 Providence Grove to open the 2023 NCHSAA 2A Soccer Playoffs.
An overtime goal from senior Olivia Kadens, however, was all Owen needed to secure a 1-0 victory.
The Warlassies, who entered the postseason with a 10-6 record, were locked in a 0-0 tie with the visiting Patriots (12-7-2) through 80 minutes of soccer. Both teams had opportunities around the opposing goals, but neither could establish an advantage.
Owen junior goalkeeper Allison Little was active in the net, as the visiting team tested her early. Providence Grove controlled the ball through the opening minutes, firing a shot that ricocheted off the top bar before a Warlassies defender cleared it. The Patriots threatened again in the ninth minute of play, as a goal attempt from the left side was corralled by a diving Little.
The Warlassies responded with sustained attacks on the opposing goal, including attempts by sophomore Kaylee Allison and junior Abby Reitzel. The defense of Providence Grove, however, maintained the scoreless tie through the first half.
The Patriots tested Little again, early in the second half, but the swarming Owen defenders held firm. As the final seconds of regulation expired, Warlassies head coach Trei Morrison gathered his team on the sidelines.
“I told them we played well, and we were doing things to create opportunities, but we needed to be more confident in front of the goal,” he said, following the victory. “We needed to keep being aggressive and work to get behind them.”
Kadens, who averaged nearly a goal per game for the Warlassies in the regular season, did exactly that in the 87th minute of play, slipping past several Patriot defenders for what proved to be the deciding score.
“We won this playoff game, now we’ve got to go win a second one,” Morrison told his team after the match. “I don’t care who our opponent is, you just have to go out there and decide you’re going to win. The talent and ability are here, we just have to believe.”
Owen will travel to Mooresville, Thursday, May 18, to face No. 1 seed Pine Lake Prep, which defeated No. 32 McMichael, 11-0, in the opening round.
“What we do is extremely hard, and we constantly have to work to maintain possession of the ball,” Morrison said. “On the ball, we’re gaining confidence, and off the ball we’ve seen that confidence build over the last couple of weeks. The key for us is having the mentality that we can go out there and compete with any team at any time.”
Photos of Owen’s first-round victory over Providence Grove can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.