GAINESVILLE -- Just two seasons ago, the Lakeview Academy girls soccer program won a single game. All season.
Those struggles seemed from a different lifetime on Thursday, however, as Lakeview stormed to its first ever state playoff win, thumping Christian Heritage School 8-1 in the opening round of the Class A bracket in Gainesville. (NOTE: Other area winners on Thursday, included the West Hall girls, Dawson County girls, Lumpkin County girls and Union County girls; East Hall, Rabun County, Jefferson and East Jackson each fell on Thursday. See below for a complete list of girls soccer first round results and second round match-ups.)
“This is such a big boost,” said Lakeview coach Nathan Wallace, who took over the program after that 2013 nadir and led the Lady Lions to their first state playoff appearance since 2004 in his second season in charge. “These girls have earned it; they’ve worked so hard. We’ve got five seniors and four juniors that were on that team, and they’ve come a long way since then and deserve all the credit.”
A sophomore has also taken plenty of the plaudits this season, and Carmen Wagner showed again on Thursday that she is a force to be reckoned with.
The striker torched Christian Heritage for for seven goals -- taking her season tally to 37 -- and one assist. She scored five in the first half, helping Lakeview to take a 6-0 halftime advantage. Bree Bell provided assists on four of the goals, while Meredith Tucker and Ellie Gravitt each added one.
“She’s a true scorer, and those don’t come around very often,” Wallace said of Wagner. “The girls know she can finish, and so they know if they can work it around and get it to her in front of goal she can get it in the net. That gives everyone a lot of confidence and does wonders for the team.”
Indeed, far from postseason novices, the Lady Lions (11-4) performed like playoff veterans, pushing Christian Heritage back into its own half from the kickoff -- Wagner combining with Tucker, Bell and Lauren Sartor to put pressure on the opposition defense inside the first minute.
It did take 15:34 to fashion the breakthrough -- Wagner curling a shot in to the far corner from the top right of the Christian Heritage penalty area -- but once it came, the Lady Lions simply could not stop scoring.
Tucker added the second goal with 21:14 left in the half, scoring after a neat assist from Wagner, who played her teammate into open space at the top of the penalty area.
From there Wagner took control, striking four straight times over a span of 10:15 for a 6-0 lead that allowed the Lady Lions to cruise through the second half. Two of Wagner’s goals over that blitz came off headers, the first from an inch-perfect cross from Bell, the second on a free kick from Tucker -- from almost the exact same spot on the field as Bell’s cross. Wagner also included an audacious chip over the Christian Heritage keeper on her fourth strike.
Lakeview needed 22:40 to get back on the scoreboard in the second half, Wagner tallying her final strikes before Sydney Stafford pulled one back for the visitors with 11:23 left to play.
Lakeview, the No. 2 seed from Area 8-A, moves on to the second round of the Class A bracket, where it will travel to face Fellowship Christian -- the top seed from Area 6.
“It’s going to be a much tougher task, for sure,” Wallace said. “But these girls are thrilled to be here; they’ve earned this.”
GIRLS FIRST ROUND STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS
Class AAAAA
Creekview 1, Gainesville 1 (Creekview advances on penalties, 4-3)
Class AAAA
Buford 11, Northwest Whitfield 0
Chestatee 3, Heritage, Catoosa 0
Southeast Whitfield 4, White County 2
Class AAA
Lumpkin County 8, East Jackson 0
Dawson County 4, Morgan County 0
West Hall 4, Jefferson 4 (West Hall advances on penalties 4-3)
Oconee County 9, East Hall 1
Class AA
Union County 7, Darlington 0
Model 3, Rabun County 0
Class A
Lakeview Academy 8, Christian Heritage 1
GIRLS SOCCER SECOND ROUND STATE PLAYOFF GAMES
Tuesday
Class AAAA
Buford vs. Mary Persons
West Laurens vs. Chestatee
Class AAA
Lumpkin County vs. Pierce County
Dawson County at Peach County
West Hall at Savannah Arts Academy
Class AA
Union County vs. Thomasville
Class A
Lakeview Academy at Fellowship Christian
