That's a team that can certainly win a state championship, so just to play them even in the second half and, quite frankly, to improve on our first match this year, I think was commendable for our girls.

Beating Lake Norman was huge last year. Their aura of invincibility vanished.

We got passive in the last 15 minutes, and (Lake Norman) picked up the pace and finally broke down our defense.

This was a battle worthy of a state semifinal kind of game. It felt like November (the playoffs) tonight.

I thought it was a fairly even match. It's just they have a knack for finishing the few chances they get.

Our philosophy tonight was the best defense is an attacking offense.