Pope’s soccer finale comes at East-West All-Star Game

Her final high school soccer match proved to be fairly uneventful for recent Fike High graduate Erin Pope but she was certainly glad to be a part of it.

Pope, a three-time all-state selection by North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association, was on the East side in a 1-0 loss in the North Carolina Coaches Associaion’s East-West All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 15, at Grimsley High’s Jamieson Stadium in Greensboro.

The East, coached by Nick Acosta of Fuquay-Varina, posted 11 shots to just six by the West, which took the lead in the second minute on a goal by Kylee Thompson. The Cornelius Hough High graduate was named the game’s MVP as a result.

“I thought we played well, especially in the second half,” said Pope, one of just two players from 3-A schools on the 16-player East roster. “I felt like we had most of the control of the game and we had a ton of shots, we just couldn’t finish, I guess.”

The game was played ahead of the boys all-star game that had Pope’s former classmate Kevin Moran of Fike on the victorious East side in the 3-2 verdict that was played mostly in the rain.

“Well, we played in the rain too,” Pope said. “We almost didn’t get to play because there was, like, lightning around, but it wasn’t in our proximity. They thought it might come closer, but I think it went around us, but it did rain.”

Pope, who delivered both assists for her North Carolina team in a 2-1 victory over South Carolina in the Clash of the Carolinas in Pineville in June, said the East All-Stars just didn’t find the same offensive rhythm.

“I just felt like this team didn’t click as much as the Clash team did,” Pope said. “I don’t really know why, but it was a good experience. We had fun.”

The all-stars arrived in Greensboro on Sunday and the boys and girls basketball games were contested Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum. Pope said that attending the all-star hoops contests was a highlight for her.

“The atmosphere was cool, like, it was packed and just looked like everybody was having a good time. I enjoyed it,” she said.

Having fun was priority No. 1 for Pope, who originally accepted the East-West invite as her final high school soccer game on her way to play soccer for NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne University next month. Instead, the East-West All-Star Game was Pope’s final competitive soccer match. After taking up distance running at Fike for her senior year, Pope won NCHSAA 3-A championships in the indoor and outdoor 3,200-meter run while finishing second at the state 3-A cross-country meet. Instead of playing soccer at Lenoir-Rhyne, Pope, who graduated No. 6 in her class, decided in the last month to attend East Carolina University on a track and field scholarship. She will move in Aug. 13 at her dorm in Greenville. Pope said that adjusting to life in college some 30 minutes away won’t be as difficult as if she were headed to Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory more than three hours from Wilson.

“Yeah, I think it’s probably an easier transition, because Greenville weather’s a lot more similar and it’s a lot closer,” she said. “So, if I need something, I can just call my mom, or I can drive back. I think it’ll just be an easier transition to college.”

Having completed her final soccer game as a high school player and maybe ever, Pope looked back on the sport that she had played since she was a toddler.

“I mean, it’s kind of bittersweet, but honestly, I’m really excited to run, so I’m really looking forward to that,” she said.

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