COVINGTON, Ga. — The Eastside Lady Eagles (11-6-1) dominated the Baldwin Bravettes (9-8) from start to early finish Thursday night, coasting to an 10-0 win at Homer Sharp Stadium in their first round game of the AAAA State Playoffs.
If not for outstanding play by Tamia James, the Baldwin goalkeeper, the match would have been over by halftime.
James made 21 saves in the match, 15 in the first half, that kept Baldwin in the game.
Eastside's Mya Cummings scored the game-winning goal off a ball from. Dallas Stephenson after just less than seven minutes. Then Aralyn Everett made it 2-0 when she tapped the ball in to the Baldwin net after Lauren Gates' corner kick sailed through James' hands at the 27:23 mark.
The Bravettes' Audrey Campbell fired what would be Baldwin's only shot on goal of the first half with just over 24 minutes left. The shot was saved by Eastside keeper Emily Manfredi.
Because of James' heroics the score remained 2-0 until the Lady Eagles netted two goals in less than 30 seconds on the clock.
First, Malaya Yamasaki scored off a rebound of her own shot with 10:29 to go in the half. Within seconds Madison Morvik netted another goal in similar fashion when she scored off a rebound of her shot off the Baldwin keeper, making a close game turn into a 4-0 contest with 10:05 to play.
Morvik would add her second goal off an assist from defender Liz Ozburn to make it 5-0 Eastside at the half.
The second half saw the Lady Eagles score five more goals. Everett scored her second goal off a ball from Cummings, Stephenson scored with an assist from Morvik and Cummings added her second goal off a Gates corner kick that was deflected onto her by Morvik to stretch the lead to 8-0, still with 28:07 on the clock.
With 15:39 remaining, Baldwin's Campbell had her shot on goal saved by Eastside's Anna Shelton who had replaced keeper Manfredi at the break. It would be Baldwin's only shot of the second stanza.
Everett secured her hat-trick with her third goal on a breakaway on a long ball from Morvik with 11:14 left, and then Stephenson scored her second goal of the night to provide the final margin with 7:19 on the clock when she fired the ball into the net after Sara Hammonds’ shot was knocked away by Bravettes' keeper James on a sliding save that sent the ball into Stephenson's path.
With the win Eastside advances to the second round of the state playoffs for only the second time in the program’s 22-year history. The 10-0 victory was the fifth 10-0 win of the year for the Lady Eagles. They have scored a program-record 94 goals this campaign while allowing 35. The shutout was their eighth of the season.
Next up for the Lady Eagles will be old Region 4-AAA foe Spalding, which won 8-0 in its first round match with Shaw Thursday night.
Spalding is 15-2 and ranked #6 in the State in AAAA. The Lady Jaguars have scored 81 goals while allowing only 11 in 17 matches, including 10 shutouts. They are coached by Gordon State College coach Scott Henderson who was named the GCAA Coach of the Year this past fall.
In what will be by far their greatest test of the season, Eastside will travel to Griffin to play Spalding Tuesday May 1.
