Rock Hill, SC – The South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association staged its annual North-South Soccer Classic on Saturday, June 18 at Rock Hill’s District 3 Stadium. The North girls prevailed 3-0 while the boys’ match ended in a 1-1 draw on a sun-splashed Chamber of Commerce day in a city more renowned for American football, but on this weekend became “Futbol City USA”.
The 20th edition of the girls event was highlighted by a hat-trick from J.L. Mann’s
Claudia Murphy. The Furman bound Murphy collected goals in the 12th, 69th, and 85th minutes as the North won for the first time since 2010 and now trails the series with the South, 9-8-3. Goalkeepers
Carmen McCarter (Clover) and
Amelia Miles (Dorman) combined for the shutout as the duo notched seven saves on 14 shots by the South. The North peppered the South net with 13 shots as goalkeepers
Kaelen Harper (Fort Dorchester) and
Logan Leask (Bishop England) tallied five saves.
Held every year since 1989, the boys contest saw both goals being scored in the first half by Dreher’s
Cole Gaston in the 21st minute and Myrtle Beach’s
Foster Russell just before intermission. Gaston was able to get down the right touchline and past the South’s back line on a questionable through ball that was allowed to be played and he slotted it into the far corner of the net. Moments before halftime, Wando’s
Andrew Johnson was fouled 25 yards away from goal and an indirect kick by
Caldwell Loftis could not be handled cleanly as Russell raced to the six-yard box for the tap-in. The two teams combined for 29 shots in the match as South goalkeepers
Jake Michel (Bishop England) and
Steven DiMaria (Bluffton) registered five stops, while North net minders
Cortland Young (D.W. Daniel) and
Nick Leonard (Greenwood) collected seven saves. The series now stands with the North holding a 15-9-4 edge, but 2016 marks the second straight year the match ended in a 1-1 draw.
2016 North-South Soccer Classic Box Scores
District 3 Stadium @ Rock Hill, SC Girls Halftime: N 1-0 S. Goals: (N) Claudia Murphy 3. Assists: none. Shots: N 13-14 S.
Saves: N 7-5 S. Corner Kicks: N 0-6 S. Offsides: N 1-1 S. Fouls: N 10-2 S.
Cautions: none. Ejections: none. Officials: (R) John Funk; (AR) Darwin Gregorio;
(AR) Ed Waddell. Weather: 81 Degrees, Sunny.
North MVP - Claudia Murphy, J.L. Mann
South MVP - Remi Olalere, West Ashley
Boys Halftime: N 1-1 S. Goals: (N) Cole Gaston; (S) Foster Russell. Assists: (S)
Caldwell Loftis. Shots: N 15-14 S. Saves: N 7-5 S. Corner Kicks: N 2-2 S.
Offsides: N 1-1 S. Fouls: N 5-3 S. Cautions: none. Ejections: none. Officials:
(R) Ed Waddell; (AR) John Funk; (AR) Darwin Gregorio. Weather 83 Degrees, Sunny.
North MVP - Cole Gaston, Dreher
South MVP - Andrew Johnson, Wando
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