Defending state champion Apex ripped through the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A girls soccer tournament with a 6-0 victory over Wakefield on Wednesday.

Kelly Dodd had two goals for the Cougars.

"The game was more contested than the score looks," Apex coach Kevin Todd said. "Wakefield is from the Cap Seven, and it has played good teams all season.

"The big difference in the game was that we finished our chances well."

Apex led the NCHSAA opener 2-0 at halftime and pulled away for the easy win.

The Cougars will be at home against either Fayetteville Sanford or Hoke County, probably on Saturday, in the second round.

A lacrosse game already is scheduled for Friday night at Apex.

MIDFIELD SHINES FOR ECH: East Chapel Hill coach Mark Kadlecik praised the work of midfielders Marisa Gray, Molly Hrudka and Katie Kranz in a 6-0 girls soccer victory over Fayetteville Cape Fear.

"You think of the defense as playing really well in a shutout -- and we were very well organized back there -- but our midfielders kept most of the game in front of them," Kadlecik said.

Taylor Boone had two goals and two assists.

East Chapel Hill is the No. 1 team in the soccer coaches' 4-A poll.

GREEN HOPE ROLLS: Green Hope's girls soccer team breezed to a 6-1 first-round victory over Wilmington Ashley.

The Falcons made the playoff game senior night, and coach Bobby Peterson made getting seniors into the game a priority.

"I think we had all of them on the field the end, although some were in unusual positions," Peterson said. "We were able to have some fun."

Six players had goals for the Falcons.

Green Hope will go to Lumberton for the second round. The game is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.

"We are playing pretty well now," Peterson said. "We've got some bumps and bruises, but we're OK."

Keeper Kristin Westerhorstmann missed the game with a sprained foot, but Morgan Burk filled in admirably, Peterson said.

BENGALS HOLD ON: Fuquay-Varina held a one-goal lead through the entire second half of a 3-2 girls soccer win over Scotland County.

Fuquay-Varina led 2-0 on goals by Jessie Davis and Whitney White, but Scotland's Megan Brigman countered with a penalty kick goal and an unassisted goal.

The Bengals got the winner on a 25-yard shot by Davis with two minutes left in the first half.

Fuquay-Varina, the No. 3 seed from the Tri-Eight, will play at Leesville Road, probably on Friday, in the second round.

CHARTER POPS PRINCETON: Raleigh Charter's Camile Morgan scored three goals and had an assist in a 7-1 girls 1-A soccer victory over Princeton.

ADAMS LIFTS ARTS: Holly Adams scored the only goal of Durham Arts' 1-0 girls soccer win over Carrboro.

RAMS WIN: Sophomore Amanda Knapp, the area's leading scorer, had two goals in Franklinton's 4-0 girls 2-A soccer win over Clinton.

WAKEFIELD OUSTED: Wakefield was eliminated from the N.C. High School Lacrosse Association playoffs with a 14-8 loss at Wilmington Hoggard.

ST. DAVID'S TENNIS: St. David's boys tennis team finished the regular season with a 15-1 record and the Eastern Plains Independent Conference title.

St. David's finished fourth in last year's N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A championships.

Torre McLain was the winner at No. 4 singles and Will Sinden won at No. 5. Owen Stone was runner-up at No. 2.