Bruins rally past NJ into 2nd round

KENLY — A two-goal deficit wasn’t enough to keep Beddingfield High from its first NCHSAA 2-A playoff win in eight years Monday as the Bruins rallied for a 3-2 victory at North Johnston.

The rubber match between 2-A Neuse 6 Conference rivals went the No. 20-seeded Bruins’ way despite falling behind 2-0 to the No. 13 Panthers. Beddingfield got two goals from senior K.J. Hill, including one just before halftime, as it moved into the second round just three years after a winless season when the current seniors were freshmen.

“We had a good talk at half, that they were doing the right things and we got that goal to at least put one on the board, so that they went into the half knowing that hey, we’ve got a chance,” said head coach Ed Hunter, in his third season at Beddingfield. “They didn’t go down 2-0, they were only down one goal. I felt like their heart was there. They played with good team atmosphere. They really were giving each other their best efforts, they played hard for each other like we discussed at the beginning of the game. I told them that the game isn’t going to be about who’s the best team; it’s going to be about who sticks together and plays the most as a team. And they did that.”

North Johnston, which finished second in the Neuse 6, scored in the 11th and 24th minutes. The first came when Bruins junior goalkeeper Pinky Marshall, who made 12 saves, came out to challenge the ball while the second Panthers goal hit the crossbar and bounced into the goal.

Six minutes before halftime, while Hunter tending to junior Daina Reyes’ “busted nose,” Hill finished a pass from sophomore Iris Martinez to break the ice for the Bruins.

Beddingfield got the equalizer five minutes into the second half when freshman Sophia Rios threaded a pass to junior Isabel Baza, who finished for the second goal.

The winner came in the 56th minute when Martinez connected with Hill for the assist again. Hill took the pass just outside the box and gave it a touch before cranking the shot, one of just eight goal by the Bruins.

Hunter counted 14 shots by the Panthers, who beat the Bruins 2-1 at home on April 23 and lost 4-3 at Beddingfield on April 8.

The Bruins, now 8-7 after assuring themselves of no worse than a .500 season, will travel to No. 4 Seaforth, a 12-0 victor over No. 29 Granville Central on Monday in Wednesday’s second-round clash. No matter what happens, the Bruins created a defining moment for themselves with a comeback win on the road in the playoffs and were happy to savor the moment Monday night.

“It feels nice to get a playoff win. It’s been a while for us,” said Hunter. “I mean, we’re playing with a lot of injured players. And I don’t have a deep bench now. I’ve only got three girls on the bench, so we’re we’re definitely giving everything we’ve got on the field each time we play. You can’t ask them to do any more than that.”

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