SOUTHERN PINES -- After coming up short in each of the past three seasons, the Green Hope boys soccer team finally broke through and won the East Regional on Wednesday night with a 2-1 victory against Southern Pines Pinecrest.
The Falcons will play in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A state championship game for the first time since 2001 on Friday night at WakeMed Soccer Park against West Regional champion Greensboro Page.
For coach Andrew Chadwick, who has led his team to five of the past six East Regional finals, including the past three, it was a long-anticipated feeling.
"It's a relief to play in the final, and anything can happen in the final," Chadwick said. "The boys played hard. They came through what I called 'the bracket of death.' They played Jordan, the No. 3 team in the country. They played Sanderson, Riverside and now Pinecrest."
It was a special moment for Green Hope seniors, who had been denied twice before.
"It feels so good. My emotions - I don't even know what's going through my head right now," senior Nader Jaibat said. "I'm just glad to be in the finals."
For Pinecrest coach Todd Abbey, a former Patriots player, the loss was a tough to take at home. Nonetheless, his team advanced the farthest of any Patriots team.
"Green Hope I thought tonight just had the edge. Their experience paid off a lot," Abbey said. "Our guys, you could tell, came out nervous."
Despite those jitters, Pinecrest struck first at the 29:47 mark when a perfectly placed through ball from just inside midfield was sent to Aaron Stroker -- who was crashing hard into the box and had gotten behind the defense. He buried the one-timer.
The lead was short-lived, however. Green Hope's Jaibat countered three minutes later. Andrew Wolschlag got the assist after beating the marked defender to the sideline and sending the ball back to the top of the box for Jaibat.
"We knew we had an advantage with speed coming in, so why not take it to the line every time. It's work all year for us, so why not keep doing it," Wolschlag said.
Senior Jared Girard provided the clinching goal with 8.4 seconds left in the first half.
At the top of the box, Jaibat received a pass from Wolschlag before laying it back to Girard.
Girard sent a blistering shot into the top right of the net.
The Falcons' defense didn't allow the Patriots to link up many passes in the second half, but as the clock ticked down, Pinecrest began to threaten goalkeeper James Earle with scrums in the front.
"James Earle made some great saves at the end. It was ridiculous," Chadwick said.
