West girls rally past East, 2-1

Monica Pevida, Maggie Rotunda & Nichole Smith being acknowledge during player introductions

BROWNS SUMMIT —Tuesday night at Greensboro’s Macpherson Stadium the West edged the East 2-1 in the 24th annual East-West All-Star women’s soccer match up.

The game marked the final high school soccer match for all involved, and the West roster featured a large number of area players.

“It’s a good way to end, since that’s probably my last highly competitive soccer game,” said Grimsley’s Monica Pevida, who will attend the University of North Carolina.

The first half was contested without much fanfare, with few chances for either team on goal.

While the defensive effort was quality, the large crowd in attendance woke up only when Ragsdale’s Montana Flemming unleashed a flip throw-in 40 yards, resulting in a collective gasp from the stands.
The offense opened up for both teams in the second half, and the pace quickened until Swansboro alumnus Kimmi Moore scored a beautiful goal from 15 yards, giving the East a 1-0 lead with just over 23 minutes remaining.

Four minutes later, the West equalized on a goal from Most Valuable Player Megan McCallister. Finally, Cornelius Hough’s Emmily Cowie headed in a Sarah Murphy free kick with just over 15 minutes left to seal the victory.

“I played against a lot of these girls in club, so I knew what to expect from a technique level,” Grimsley alumna and Queens-bound defender Maggie Rotunda said. “We just rose to the occasion. The team really blended well for the short time we had together.”

Page alumna Nichole Smith will be trying out for the East Carolina program in the coming weeks, but echoed all of her West teammates when asked about the All-Star experience.

“It was a great experience,” she said. “I expected it to be a tough, competitive game and it was. It was fun to play. And it was fun to play against really good girls.”