By David Rogers. GREENSBORO, N.C. — Watauga High School alum Kyle Painter recorded six saves as goalkeeper for the West in the North Carolina Coaches Association (NCAA) East-West All-Star Soccer Game, but it was not quite enough to overcome a barrage of close-range shots by the East, who prevailed with a 3-2 win on July 16.
Meanwhile, another Watauga alum, Katie Durham, helped lead the West All-Stars to a 1-0 victory over the East in the curtain-raiser, with both matches hosted by the NCCA at Grimsley High School.
With temperatures nearing 90 degrees and a thunderstorm brewing on the western horizon, the women’s game looked to be electrifying when the West’s Kylee Thompson (Hough HS) drove down the left wing, deftly turned the ball inward, then skipped it past a lunging East goalkeeper, Lauren Hollis ((Millbrook HS), for what turned out to be the game’s only score just two minutes after the opening whistle to start play.
For much of the match, the East seemed to dominate possession in their offensive half of the field, but each time the West defenders successfully turned their adversaries away. The starting West goalkeeper Rees DeJong (Cox Mill HS) made one save in the first half, then when the East turned up their offensive attack a notch or two in the second half, the West’s second goalkeeper, Elizabeth Navola (Christ the King HS), helped salvage the shutout with four more saves.
Although she did not score from her attacking midfield position, Durham played a critical role in most of the West’s other offensive assaults. In what she described as her favorite near-goal of the night, the former Pioneer now committed to play for Wingate University received a long pass over the top from a fellow midfielder, then pushed the ball ahead in the left-center part of the field and sprinted in pursuit, racing past two defenders. Only a brilliant play by Hollis (the East goalkeeper) and a third East defender prevented Watauga’s 2024 MVP from scoring on this particular play.
Two other notable runs by Durham, one down the right wing and another down the right-center of the field also threatened, making for some exciting, highlight reel type action.
Thompson was named the game’s MVP.
NC Men’s All-Stars: East 3, West 2
Where the women’s game featured strong defensive efforts, the men’s all-stars traded offensive punches and counterattacks aplenty.
The West’s Aaron Zhu knocked the ball from 14 yards out just 4:07 into the match, a low shot around the East goalkeeper who had stopped the first touch.
From the 25-minute mark until just about the last 10 minutes, the East dominated the scoring, starting with Irvin Guiterrez’s (Lee County HS) unassisted blast from 24 yards out on the left side to clean up a loose ball. At the 43:30 mark, the East’s Adam Trusky (Chapel Hill HS) scored from close range thanks to a deft thru ball from Patrick Dion (Apex Friendship) for the assist. The East finished off their scoring barrage for the night at the 45:04 mark when Finn Peters (Junius H. Rose HS) and Trusky found a 2-on-1 opportunity that allowed Peters to finish it off, Trusky being credited for the all-important assist.
After a long scoring drought in the second half, the West’s Zhu brought the deficit to just a single goal with a successful penalty kick after teammate Justin Ortiz (Hickory HS) was fouled inside the penalty box at the 71:13 mark.
But that is as close as the West could get in front of the almost 700 patrons who attended, even with rain and lightning threatening. The East’s Trusky was named MVP of the men’s all-star match.
