The North Carolina high school girls soccer postseason begins today, marking the final spring sport before the 2024 state playoffs.
The Wilmington area has several top-seeded teams, including Ashley, which earned the top seed in the 4A East, Hoggard (No. 11) and Rainey (No. 14).
This year's postseason will see seven area teams across four categories competing for a state championship, with a legitimate chance to make history and bring the Wilmington area its first girls soccer state title. Are there any players?
Let's take a look at the standings of each area team participating in the 2024 NCHSAA Women's Soccer Playoffs.
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Ashley (18-0-2)
After winning the Mid-Eastern Conference title, Ashley enters the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NCHSAA's 4A East classification.
Led by stars like Karina Peete and Savannah Mansett, the Ashleys scored 113 points all season while allowing just nine goals. His team's only meager points were two ties, the season opener against Jacksonville and April 26 against rival Hoggard.
After appearing in the state championship last season, Ashley is once again the favorite to make the playoffs this spring. If the regular season is any indication, we should expect Screaming Eagles games to last until the end of May.
Hoggard (16-3-2)
After dropping three games in the first half of the season, the Vikings are undefeated in their last 12 games.
Hoggard earned the No. 11 seed and will host No. 22 Jordan (11-10) on Monday. The Vikings have managed to make strides over the past two months, led by junior Ellis Kelly, the team's leading goal scorer.
Hoggard may not have the star quality that Ashley has, but fans shouldn't be surprised if the Vikings advance to the regional finals.
Rainey (14-4-1)
The 14th-seeded Buccaneers will begin the 2024 postseason at home against No. 19 East Chapel Hill (13-7-3).
Led by the junior duo of Olivia Dureba and Kenzie Badawi up front, Laney has defeated every Mid-Eastern Conference team except Ashley and Hoggard this season.
If the Bucs win on Monday, they will likely face a tough spot in the second round against No. 3 Chapel Hill (18-1-1) in the East.
Topsail (13-7-1)
The 18th-seeded Pirates are the only Area 4A team to start the playoffs on the road, as they will face 15th-seeded Heritage (12-5-4).
Topsail finished fourth in this spring's MEC, but ended the season with three hard-fought 2-1 losses against Ashley, Hoggard and Rainey.
Topsail comes into this postseason with a lot to prove, so don't be surprised if the Pirates pull off a few upsets.
South Brunswick (8-9-1)
Led by sophomore Merrin Deutsch's 27 goals, South Brunswick earned the No. 28 seed in the 3A East state playoffs.
They will face No. 5 Union Pines (15-4-2) in a game heavily favored by the Vikings, who have outscored their opponents 105-34 this season.
Trask (15-5-1)
The Titans won their second consecutive Waccamaw Conference title this season and earned the No. 9 seed in the 2A East playoffs.
Freshman forward Nayeri Sanchez has been great for the team this spring, scoring 24 goals in 18 games. His senior, Kenya Lewis, also played well, scoring 18 points.
Pender (0-19-1)
Despite not winning a game this spring, Pender was still the top (and only) 1A team in the Split 1/2A Waccamaw Conference, earning an automatic berth to the state playoffs.
The 28th-seeded Patriots will play No. 5 seed Falls Lake (13-6) on Monday.