South Aiken High School's girls' soccer team faced a challenge from the coast Monday evening - a Myrtle Beach High School team that hadn't allowed a goal in its last eight games.
However, Myrtle Beach's Lady Seahawks were ill-prepared for the cardinal red and gold tidal wave that crashed against them in the Lower State championship.
The Lady Thoroughbreds' blitzkrieg yielded four first-half goals - a rush of momentum that carried South Aiken to a 4-1 victory and a berth in the state finals.
South Aiken (21-3), which clinched the Lower State championship, will face the winner of Monday's matchup between Eastside High School and Riverside High School for the Class AAA title on Friday. Myrtle Beach (15-6) had its nine-game winning streak snapped.
"They work as hard as you ask them to," South Aiken coach Michael Young said of his players. "They're a selfless group. Two years ago, we won nine games. Now, we've won 21 and are going to the state championship."
Myrtle Beach vanquished Region 5-AAA representatives Brookland-Cayce and Swansea High School in its last two playoff games; South Aiken's last two losses, ironically enough, came at the hands of B-C and Swansea.
That point of reference mattered little, though, as South Aiken, the top-ranked team in Class AAA, aggressively attacked fourth-ranked Myrtle Beach during the game's first 20 minutes.
"We had to make a decision," Young said. "We were going to play 'D' and squeak it out or go after them. We went after them, and I think it changed their game plan."
South Aiken, which enjoyed an 8-5 advantage in shots on goal, found its first points after Kylie Mills found Nicole Neill for a goal in the 11th minute. An initial shot on goal hit the top of the crossbar, which was retrieved for the score.
Seconds later, Myrtle Beach's goalie botched an attempt to clear the ball, and Mills intercepted the Lady Seahawks' light punt. She sent a shot over the goalie's head for the game's second score.
Mills, a senior forward recently honored with a selection to the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association (SCHSSCA) Class AAA Girls' All-State Team, wasn't done. She found teammate Emily Graves with a free kick in the 21st minute, and Graves found the back of the net with a deft header.
The Seahawks, surprisingly enough, weren't shell-shocked. They attacked the Lady T-Breds with an ardor and scored in the 25th minute. Myrtle Beach's Shaina Arambula found Heather Nichols for a goal.
A rejuvenated Myrtle Beach team nearly bum-rushed the big stage at South Aiken with its second scoring attempt.
Myrtle Beach, led by All-State forwards Keyaurna Wilson and Ragan Cote, thwarted a South Aiken scoring opportunity deep in Lady Seahawk territory and went off to the races.
The smoke cleared near South Aiken goalie R.B. Wyatt, who lunged and slowed down the shot on goal, yet the ball continued to trickle toward the net. That's when teammate Nicole Gaul cleared the attempt and preserved South Aiken's two-goal advantage.
"Nicole's stepped up her game since the start of the playoffs," Young said. "She helped us dodge a bullet there."
South Aiken padded its lead inside of two minutes to go in the half, thanks to the success of the Lady T-Breds' dynamic senior duo. Mills found Neill for another goal, which represented South Aiken's final margin.
Wyatt, who had one save on the afternoon, made way for closer and fellow goalkeeper Madison Lightbody in the second half. Lightbody had a pair of saves, and a stalwart effort on both ends kept Myrtle Beach at bay.
"We have 21 girls on the roster, and all 21 of them can get after it," Young said.
SAVES: Myrtle Beach - Kara Bellamy 3. South Aiken - R.B. Wyatt 1, Madison Lightbody 2.
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