A month ago members of Kinston’s girls soccer team were looking forward to season’s end.
Now, the Vikings don’t want it to end.
Eastern Plains 2A Conference tri-champion Kinston (7-9-2) will host Edenton Holmes (7-9) at 5 p.m. today in a first round NCHSAA state 2A playoff match. But just a few weeks ago a fourth consecutive trip to the postseason looked bleak, much less owning a third of the conference championship.
A 1-0 loss to Tarboro on April 22 changed everything for the Vikings. Even in defeat, the team learned it could play with anybody, and decided then it was time to play like it.
Kinston also figured out its lineup after tinkering with it all season, and heading into today’s state playoff match the team is on a three-match win streak.
“We worked so hard for that game. After that game I think we just felt the need to prove to ourselves that we could play with (the best),” junior Elizabeth Proctor said. “We were just sick of not giving it our all every game.”
The season began rough for the Vikings, who are largely made up of underclassmen. They dropped seven of their first 11 matches and were 3-7-2 heading into conference play.
When senior Alexis Williams and junior Hannah Vermillion joined the team following their run at a state championship with the girls basketball program, Kinston found a boost of leadership and experience that it desperately needed.
Vermillion, who plays at just about every position, leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 22 total points — and that’s in only eight matches.
“I think that’s when we started getting better — now we have our starters and everyone knows what position they’re playing and everyone knows how to play it,” Vermillion said. “I think that’s really been an important part for us to getting to where we’re at.”
Kinston’s lineup was set when coach Joe Romig moved keeper Erin Stewart to the field and put freshman Vendela Safford in goal. There, Stewart’s toughness excelled and Safford went on to have four shutouts in conference play.
Sophomore Shannon Mayo, who had never played soccer before this year, she said, has come on strong as well.
In all, it’s been a total team effort in the run to salvage its season.
“We’ve just tried to keep each other up, and not let each other be down,” Mayo said. “We’re just ready to do what we can.”
Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.