Demonized: E. Wayne soccer sent home

By Gabe Whisnant
Published in Sports on May 18, 2005 1:46 PM

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WILSON -- Wilson Fike freshman Sarah Sallenger posted a natural hat trick (three straight goals) as the Golden Demons turned a 1-0 halftime lead into a 7-1 win at home against Eastern Wayne in the third round of the Class 3-A N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs on Tuesday.

After notching her first goal with seven minutes left in the first half, Sallenger scored twice more in the first seven minutes after intermission. Her third and final goal came at the 33-minute mark as she finished a long cross from the left wing by Sarah Farris that landed inside the box.

The Warriors, who didn't manage a shot in the first 50 minutes of play, finally got one, long attempt each from Kelsey Griffith and Kasie Edwards with 30 minutes left in the second half.

Fike tacked on an own-goal with 18 minutes left, before Lori Blackburn, Casey Narron and Barksdale Thompson completed the scoring down the stretch. The Demons (16-2), the Big Eight North champion, controlled the shot total at 17-3.

Eastern Wayne (11-6-1) ended its women's soccer teams' longest playoff run in school history on a positive note.

Near the two-minute mark, sophomore Natalie Taylor was fouled in the box, then capitalized by knocking home a penalty kick to push the tally to its final margin at 7-1.

Taylor finished with five goals in the playoffs and 17 on the season.

"We're getting nine starters back, so the future really looks good for us," Eastern Wayne coach Jorg Wagner said. "That's how the guys program got good. You get to the first round one year, then each year try to move up a round. Before you know it, you are in the semifinals."

Once Fike, which defeated the Warriors 9-0 earlier in the season, established its possession game and offensive rhythm, the Warriors had difficulty creating pressure of their own up front. Eastern Wayne's most threatening attacks were early in the first half.

With solid passing up the left side,Warrior forwards Samantha Frazer and Taylor had a couple of runs down the wing in the first 10 minutes. Each time, the Demon defense closed in to clear the ball away. Fike senior goalie and N.C. Wesleyan signee, Cary Trump, wasn't tested with a shot in the first half.

"They play a deep sweeper (Erin Menzel), who is very skilled and very fast," Eastern Wayne coach Jorg Wagner said. "They have plenty of players that they can run at us."

Still, the Warriors stood their ground in the midfield and defensively and kept the Demons off of the scoreboard until Sallenger posted her first goal with seven minutes left in the first half.

Eastern Wayne dodged a handful of bullets in the first frame as goalie Morgan Pritchett faced ten shots and saved four. Pritchett finished with seven saves on the game as she was consistently tested.

The Blue Demons finished with eight shots in the second half, scoring on six of their attempts. Eastern Wayne managed three shots after intermission.

Despite the shot discrepancy, Fike coach Toni Varacchi wasn't pleased with her team's performance in the first half. She's hoping her team will come out with more intensity in the Eastern Semifinals when they face the winner of White Oak and West Carteret.

"I don't think we did a whole lot in the first half," Varacchi said. "I give Eastern Wayne a lot of credit. They came out and played with a lot of heart and took it to us. In the second half, we just came out and played like we have all year."

April Vinson and Anne Archer played in their final games for Eastern Wayne.