BLAIRSVILLE — Sophomore Kaylee Helton scored two goals to lead the Union County girls to a 3-1 win over Temple on Thursday to advance to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Freshman Lara Turner gave the Lady Panthers a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute and it stayed that way until halftime.
The match stayed tight until 15 minutes into the second half when Helton gave Union County a cushion. She scored both of her goals in a 78-second span to push the lead to 3-0.
Temple scored a late goal but could get no closer.
The Lady Panthers move on to play the Lovett-Coosa winner in the second round next week.
Union County was part of three Region 8-2A teams to move through on Thursday.
The No. 1-seeded Rabun County girls rolled to a 6-0 win over Haralson County while Banks County took a big road win, 4-2, over Callaway.
The Lady Wildcats will play host to the Gordon Central-Pace Academy winner next week in the second round. The Lady Leopards will take on the Model-Therrell winner next week.
FIRST ROUND SOCCER SCORES, Thursday, April 22
CLASS 6A
Dalton girls 2, Habersham Central 1
Buford girls 10, Rome 0
CLASS 4A
Flowery Branch girls 9, Fayette County0
Jefferson girls 7, Hampton 0
CLASS 2A
Banks County girls 4, Callaway 2
Rabun County girls 6, Haralson County 0
Union County girls 3, Temple 1
Friday, April 23
CLASS 6A
Habersham Central boys (R8, S3) at Rome (R5, S2), 7 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Chestatee boys (R8, S3) at Fayette County (R5, S2), 6:30 p.m.
Flowery Branch boys (R8, S4) at Luella (R5, S1), 6 p.m.
Hampton boys (R5, S4) at East Hall (R8, S1), 6 p.m.
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro boys (R5, S3) at Jefferson (R8, S2), 6:30 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Callaway boys (R5, S3) at Riverside Military (R8, S2), 6 p.m.
Haralson County boys (R5, S4) at Union County (R8, S1), 6 p.m.
Rabun County boys (R8, S4) at Bremen (R5, S1), 6 p.m
