How two freshmen helped Hendersonville reach fourth round of NCHSAA girls soccer playoffs
HENDERSONVILLE — Owen midfielder Sadie Lydia turned and dribbled upfield after receiving a pass from her teammate on the backline. Then Hendersonville midfielder Addison Reid chased her down and challenged her for possession just shy of midfield.
Reid swiped the ball from Lydia. The freshman took a dribble and fired on goal from 34 yards out. Her shot looped over Owen goalkeeper Alison Little's left hand into the back of the goal, giving Hendersonville a 3-0 lead in the 49th minute.
"That keeper was phenomenal," Hendersonville coach Melissa Villars-Nitsche said. "In my head, I'm thinking long balls aren't going to work. And it worked. Sometimes coaches are wrong."
There was another freshman who also scored for the Bearcats. Forward Reagan Adams secured the first goal of the game in the 16th minute. The goals from the two freshmen helped No. 2 Hendersonville seal a 3-0 win over No. 23 Owen (8-7-3) in the third round of the NCHSAA 2A playoffs.
Hendersonville (16-2-1) advances to the fourth round, where it will host No. 6 Wheatmore (15-4) at home on Thursday.
The Bearcats needed players like Adams and Reid to step up after they had to play without senior Aubrie Retzbach who underwent surgery last week to repair a torn ACL.
Reid said several of the underclassmen knew they needed to step up after Retzbach suffered her injury.
Senior midfielder Maggie Bish has been impressed with Reid and Adams this season. She said Reid excels at reading the field while Adams is quick and great at knowing where the ball is going to be.
Bish said she knew Reid's shot in the 49th minute would be a goal the second she launched it.
"I have so much trust in her," Bish said. "I have so much faith that she's going to make it every time she shoots."
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Villars-Nitsche said she doesn't think about how Adams and Reid are just freshmen when coaching them.
"When I look at these kids, I look at their skill level, not necessarily their age," Villars-Nitsche said. "They deserve to be here. They really, really do. I am thankful for them."
The Bearcats return to the fourth round for a second consecutive season. They fell to Pine Lake Prep in this round a year ago.
Bish believes this team is more talented than past Hendersonville teams.
"It means everything as a senior like I'm not ready to be over," she said. "We have a great team, better than we've been in the past. I'm ready to keep going, keep winning. I think we can honestly go all the way playing like we are."
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @zacharyahuber. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times and Times-News.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Hendersonville reaches 4th round of NCHSAA girls soccer playoffs
