Fayetteville Academy soccer repeats as state champion
The Eagles topped Gaston Day 3-1 for their second straight NCISAA 2-A title.
HIGH POINT — Fayetteville Academy successfully defended its NCISAA 2-A soccer title Saturday, beating Gaston Day 3-1 for the Eagles’ second straight championship.
Coach Andrew McCarthy said the team heard rumblings early in the season that a repeat might not be in the cards for the Eagles, who graduated a load of offensive firepower from last year’s roster.
The team never doubted it, though.
“We graduated a lot of goals, and people thought it was going to be tough for us,” McCarthy said. “But the lads trained unbelievably hard. And I knew, with the fantastic group of seniors we had, that we’d be a tight-knit group that was going to find ways to score goals.”
The win brings the program’s title tally to 17 in the last 34 years, further cementing Fayetteville Academy’s place as the premier boys’ soccer program in the state.
Boyce Purdie, Davis Saint-Armond and Julian Barbaro scored for the Eagles (14-2), who were the top seed in the tournament.
Barbaro, Purdie and Hudson Zeisman, who started two of the Eagles’ scoring series with long throw-ins, were named to the 1-A all-state team.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first half Saturday on goals by Purdie and Saint-Armond.
Gaston Day (17-3), the No. 2 seed, managed a goal before the break, cutting the Academy’s lead to 2-1 at halftime.
McCarthy said that goal, while not taking the lead away from the Eagles, galvanized the team.
“We started really well. Scored a goal early, which we had been struggling with,” McCarthy said. “Going into halftime, we were reeling a little bit because going in 2-nil is huge compared to going in 2-1. So we made sure we regrouped at halftime. The third goal was huge for us.”
As they’ve done throughout the season, the players responded to the pressure.
Barbaro drove the ball in off of a throw-in from Hudson for the Eagles’ third goal with about 18 minutes left to play.
McCarthy said answering opponent goals has been a key part of the Eagles’ success.
“Anytime we’ve conceded a goal this year, we’ve responded well, and that’s down to the senior leadership.” McCarthy said. “That’s been a theme on the season. No matter what happens, nothing comes in between what we’re trying to do. We just stick together and fight all the challenges that are placed in front of us.”
Staff writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at jshambaugh@fayobserver.com or 910-609-0651.
The Eagles topped Gaston Day 3-1 for their second straight NCISAA 2-A title.
HIGH POINT — Fayetteville Academy successfully defended its NCISAA 2-A soccer title Saturday, beating Gaston Day 3-1 for the Eagles’ second straight championship.
Coach Andrew McCarthy said the team heard rumblings early in the season that a repeat might not be in the cards for the Eagles, who graduated a load of offensive firepower from last year’s roster.
The team never doubted it, though.
“We graduated a lot of goals, and people thought it was going to be tough for us,” McCarthy said. “But the lads trained unbelievably hard. And I knew, with the fantastic group of seniors we had, that we’d be a tight-knit group that was going to find ways to score goals.”
The win brings the program’s title tally to 17 in the last 34 years, further cementing Fayetteville Academy’s place as the premier boys’ soccer program in the state.
Boyce Purdie, Davis Saint-Armond and Julian Barbaro scored for the Eagles (14-2), who were the top seed in the tournament.
Barbaro, Purdie and Hudson Zeisman, who started two of the Eagles’ scoring series with long throw-ins, were named to the 1-A all-state team.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the first half Saturday on goals by Purdie and Saint-Armond.
Gaston Day (17-3), the No. 2 seed, managed a goal before the break, cutting the Academy’s lead to 2-1 at halftime.
McCarthy said that goal, while not taking the lead away from the Eagles, galvanized the team.
“We started really well. Scored a goal early, which we had been struggling with,” McCarthy said. “Going into halftime, we were reeling a little bit because going in 2-nil is huge compared to going in 2-1. So we made sure we regrouped at halftime. The third goal was huge for us.”
As they’ve done throughout the season, the players responded to the pressure.
Barbaro drove the ball in off of a throw-in from Hudson for the Eagles’ third goal with about 18 minutes left to play.
McCarthy said answering opponent goals has been a key part of the Eagles’ success.
“Anytime we’ve conceded a goal this year, we’ve responded well, and that’s down to the senior leadership.” McCarthy said. “That’s been a theme on the season. No matter what happens, nothing comes in between what we’re trying to do. We just stick together and fight all the challenges that are placed in front of us.”
Staff writer Jaclyn Shambaugh can be reached at jshambaugh@fayobserver.com or 910-609-0651.
