Published Oct. 26, 2008
By Bruce Gresham
Special Correspondent
The Charlotte Observer
Charlotte Latin constantly pressured Providence Day's side of the field to take a 1-0 victory for the NCISAA 3A state soccer championship Saturday at Charlotte Country Day.
During the regular season, Providence Day won the first match 1-0 while the second ended in a scoreless tie.
But No. 3 seeded Latin (18-3-2) won when it counted most.
“I thought we dominated a lot of the game with our passing, but they are so good defensively,” Charlotte Latin coach Lee Horton said. “We knew we needed one big play to win the game.”
After pressing Providence Day's defense throughout the game, the Hawks' big play finally came in the 13th minute of the second half.
Latin scored when a shot by Brandon Jordi spun off the goalkeeper's hands and just missed.
The ball twisted to the right corner of the field where Will McGinnis, who before the game was named to the All-State team, found it and scored by driving the ball into the opposite corner of the goal.
“All season we have been talking about following up the keeper,” McGinnis said. “I ran onto it and it was a hard angle, but it found its way into the net.”
According to Horton, it was the 12th time McGinnis came up with the game-winning goal for the Hawks this season. Latin last won the state title in 2005.
The Hawks had 11 shots on goal, compared to just five for Providence Day.
The Chargers (12-9-1, No.4 seed) threatened often toward the end as they scrambled to push the game into overtime. Providence Day's Eric Martinez, who also received All-State honors, nearly headed in throw-in during the extended period.
“It got a little hairy there a few times,” Horton said.
“That last header just happened to be right at (Hawks goalkeeper) David Golder. It was a big shutout by David today.”
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