MACON — The Flowery Branch girls' first foray into the GHSA soccer finals is one they may want to forget.
The Lady Falcons were routed by St. Pius 6-0 on a scorching hot Friday afternoon at Five Star Stadium for the Class 4A state championship.
However, it is also an experience they may want to remember, and reflect on, especially with 16 of 22 players returning, including dynamic freshman forward Maggie Wadsworth.
“Coming here to the state finals is a big deal and something we had been trying to get to so hopefully this will make them hungry next year,” Branch coach Anel Lilic said.
Senior Caroline Wysocki, who helped lead the Lady Falcons basketball team to its first finals in 2018, was instrumental in helping the soccer squad also reach the championship match for the first time. She wore an obvious disappointing look but was excited for the future of the program.
“It was a joy playing with all these girls,” Wysocki said. “They have a lot of great young players coming back. I think what (getting to the finals) shows is that we can compete and get here. They have a bright future I think.”
Whether it was early nerves or just a tenacious St. Pius attack, or both, the Lady Falcons were on their heels virtually the entire match. The Lady Golden Lions pressed the attack quickly to open the game getting three shots on goal in the first five minutes.
Senior Mississippi State-signee keeper Hannah Pimentel was busy early for the Lady Falcons and up to the task keeping it a scoreless draw with two outstanding saves.
But a usually strong Branch defensive unit was shaky with one miscue after another helping St. Pius generate 13 shots to just 1 for Flowery Branch in the first half. The Lady Falcons lone shot was on a free kick by Larsyn Reid from 45-yards out.
However, the game was still scoreless until St. Pius’s Helen Cherry converted a beautiful bicycle kick for a goal after a bad clear by the Lady Falcons defense for a 1-0 lead with 5:05 left.
The Lady Golden Lions struck again just before the half when Renee Lyles, on what looked to be an obvious offsides, got behind the Flowery Branch defense and outmaneuvered Pimentel for an open net goal with just 58 seconds left for a 2-0 advantage.
“Pius was just much better than us today, much more aggressive early on,” Lilic said. “There may have been some nerves early. I thought we finally settled down some but (Pius) made a nice play on the first goal and then we didn’t get the offsides call on the second.”
The Lady Falcons opened the second half much more aggressive and looked to have generated a huge break in the opening minute when Wysocki was taken down by Pius keeper Isabelle Lee in the box. But a controversial no-call gave the Lady Golden Lions a goal kick instead of a penalty kick for the Lady Falcons and a chance to cut the lead to 2-1 with more than 39 minutes left.
“I thought it was foul but they didn’t agree with me,” Lilic said.”If we get that call and convert, it may have made a huge difference. I guess we’ll never know.”
After that, nothing went right for Flowery Branch. Three minutes later Pius made it 3-0 on a goal by Notre Dame-commit Caroline Gray off a corner by Ava Schwarze.
Flowery Branch had another golden opportunity to cut into the lead in the 48th minute when Wadsworth dribbled inside the box for an apparent open look at the goal. But her shot was denied by a diving Lady Golden Lions defender.
Lyles then blew it open with two more goals in a six-minute span for the hat trick and a 5-0 lead with just 11:51 left. Helen Kolker put the finishing touches on it with a goal in the final minute.
Pius outshot the Lady Falcons 24-5 for the game.
