Bryson City – Murphy girls soccer had a golden opportunity on a corner kick in the 29th minute. The ball deflected around the box, and no one could get a good touch on it until it was kicked out by the Swain County defense.
The Lady Devils turned that into a counter until the ball ended up in the right foot of Mazie Helpman. From well outside the box, Helpman kicked the ball and it bounced off a Lady Bulldog. With goalie Torin Rogers coming out to try to play the ball, the goal was open and it landed in the back of the net to give Helpman a first-half hat trick.
Murphy knew it would have its hands full with Swain County, and plays like that didn’t help. The Lady Devils ended the Lady Bulldogs’ season, beating Murphy 4-0 in the first round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 1A playoffs on May 16.
“We played with a lot of heart,” head coach Little Holloway said. “We could not finish in front of the goal, but we were trying as dang hard as we could.
“And that’s the difference.”
With the playoffs being 64 teams this year instead of 32 last season because of COVID-19, No. 20 seed Murphy (6-8-1 overall) was able to take advantage and get another shot at No. 13 Swain County (14-3-1), which tied with Highlands for first in the Smoky Mountain Conference. The Lady Devils beat the Lady Bulldogs 10-2 on March 24 and 3-1 on April 28.
Holloway said her team wasn’t ready for Swain’s physicality in the first matchup, and had trouble with Lady Devils striker Kaylee Simmons. The Lady Bulldogs were more prepared in the second matchup and Simmons was out, and they showed more fight.
Murphy showed similar fight in this one, even as they had to play their fourth goalie this season. Usual keeper Calista Rumfelt, broke two fingers in her right hand against Highlands on Monday, and Holloway got a text from Lochlan Rogers that her sister, Torin, said she wanted to get in net again after starting every game last year.
“She’s a natural at it,” Holloway said. “She’s just knows how to respond the ball.”
Torin Rogers made some good saves to keep the score from getting worse, but some miscommunication and good finishing allowed Swain County to get on the board in the first half. Helpman got her first goal on a deflection off a corner kick in the 14th minute. Five minutes later, she converted on a tough angle as Rogers and a defender both went out to make a play. Mya-Burrows Kerr would make the lead 4-0 when Murphy failed to clear a corner kick, and she put it in the back of the net.
The Lady Bulldogs’ best chance came in the 46th minute, when Lailee Holloway’s penalty kick bounced off the top crossbar. They had a few more chances, but nothing that really tested Lady Devils keeper Emmie Fuller. This is the second straight year Swain County has ended Murphy’s season, as the Lady Devils beat the Lady Bulldogs in a playoff tiebreaker in 2021.
The year was a learning experience for Little Holloway and her team. Holloway, who took over for program founder Kim Brownlee, had a group with only a few players with soccer experience. Practices at the beginning of the season started from scratch, with basic concepts like how to trap the ball when receiving a pass and pass it to your teammate’s feet.
That led to some tough early results, but the Lady Bulldogs had an identity by the end of the season. They developed toughness and heart that made up for the disadvantage they had against more skilled and experienced opponents.
“When we have our banquet, I want to get some film from their very first game and their last couple games, and make sure they know how much they improved,” Holloway said.
“And I know they had a lot of fun learning it. I’m proud of them, they’re feisty.”