Cedar Ridge Women’s Soccer

Cedar Ridge senior centerback Geri Messinger asked head coach P.J. Michaelson to move up to midfield in the midst of the first half of the Red Wolves 7-0 win over Orange on Wednesday night. She got the opportunity and turned it into a goal as the Red Wolves completed a season sweep of the Lady Panthers. Messinger is winding down her Cedar Ridge career. She aims to push the Red Wolves into the state playoffs for the second year in a row. Last year, Cedar Ridge won a state playoff game at West Carteret. Emmy Talley scored a hat trick for the Red Wolves against the Lady Panthers. Cedar Ridge will travel to Northern Durham on Monday night.

Cedar Ridge junior Giselle Solis Morales assisted on three goals as the Red Wolves women’s soccer team defeated crosstown rival Orange 7-0 on Wednesday night. With the win, Cedar Ridge completed a season sweep of the Lady Panthers. Solis Morales had three assists in Cedar RIdge’s 5-0 win over Orange on March 25 at Orange Soccer Park. This season, Solis Morales has two goals and ten points. Cedar Ridge followed the Orange win with a 7-2 win at Southern Durham on Thursday night. The Red Wolves are now 6-7-1 overall, 4-5 in the Big 8 Conference.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore striker Emmy Talley. On March 25, Talley scored a hat trick in a 5-0 win over crosstown rival Orange. It was her second hat trick of the season. On March 28, Talley followed with her 3rd hat trick of the season in a 9-0 win over River Mill Academy. Talley also had two assists in the win over the Jaguars. Talley scored two goals in Cedar Ridge’s 9-0 win over Hillside on March 12. After helping Cedar Ridge win a state playoff game last year over West Carteret, Talley is the leading scorer for the Red Wolves this season. Cedar Ridge will host Orange on Wednesday.

On Monday night, the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team defeated Orange 5-0 at Orange High Soccer Park. Junior midfielder Giselle Solis Morales assisted on three goals in the first half, all of which were scored by striker Emmy Talley. In the 9th minute, Morales snuck a gorgeous through ball to Talley, who blasted it home from 15 yards for the opening goal. Talley notched her 2nd goal with 28:17 remaining in the first half off another assist from Morales. In the 2nd half, Morales assisted on two balls that turned into penalty kicks. Both penalties were attempted by goalkeeper Grace Davies, who scored on her 2nd try. Cedar Ridge improve to 2-3 in the Big 8 Conference with the victory. On Thursday night, Morales helped Cedar Ridge defeat River Mill Academy to improve to 4-5-1 on the season.

This was one trip away from Morehead City that P.J. Michaelson could enjoy.

As a player at South Central High in Winterville, Michaelson was 0-8 against Coastal Conference rival West Carteret.

He also managed the girls team for four years. They never defeated the Patriots, either.

“I used to dread going there,” said Michaelson.

So when the NCHSAA announced the girls soccer playoff brackets on Monday morning, Michaelson had a case of deja vu. Cedar Ridge, the team he has coached for the past five years, would travel to face, you guessed it, West Carteret.

But Michaelson didn’t feel dread. He got a jolt of optimism.

“I told the girls we were prepared,” said Michaelson. “Their 11-seed was just a number. It doesn’t matter what their rank is. We’re ready to go.”

On Wednesday night, his players proved him right.

Freshmen Emerson Talley and Ivy Garner each scored goals in the first half, while Geri Messinger scored in the 2nd to finally give Michaelson his long-awaited win at West Carteret 3-0 in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Not only did the Red Wolves advance to the 2nd round to face D.H. Conley on Saturday, they also became the first team to shut out the Patriots this season. West Carteret, the 11th seed, finished runner-up in the Coastal Conference behind Jacksonville.

It was Cedar Ridge’s first win in the state playoffs since 2005, when the Red Wolves defeated Durham School of the Arts 3-1 in the 2A/1A state championship tournament (the NCHSAA crowned three state champions in women’s soccer in those days).

Senior Taylin Jean and junior Grace Davies shared goalkeeping duties. Jean played in the first half, then moved to right cornerback in the second half as Michaelson shifted formations. Starting in a 4-4-2, Michaelson adjusted to a 3-5-2 and finished with a 4-5-1.

“I was shocked because I didn’t think it would work so well,” said Michaelson. “The backline kept them in front of them so they couldn’t use their speed. We played perfectly.”

Talley and Garner assisted on each other’s goals. Garner, who was All-Big 8 in women’s tennis, leads the team with 18 goals. Talley has 15 goals and 14 assists.

Messinger notched her third goal as Cedar Ridge improved to 11-3-5.

The win was gratifying for Jean, a senior who had been to the state playoffs the past two years only to come away with first-round losses. Last year, Cedar Ridge lost a 2-1 heart breaker to West Brunswick with the game-winning goal coming in the last ten minutes. It made for a long four-and-a-half hour bus ride back from Shallotte.

“Without that loss, we wouldn’t have won tonight,” said Jean. “It really helped us. It motivated us. We really wanted to win tonight. It definitely feels good to win this one. Not winning in the playoffs had definitely been bugging me the last couple of years.”

The bus ride home for Cedar Ridge on Wednesday night was four hours. Michaelson started the day at 6:30 AM and didn’t get home until midnight. He had another day of school ahead Thursday, but he was too happy to care.

“I’m going to stay up all night just like I did in college,” said Michaelson.

In a battle for 3rd place in the Big 8 on Tuesday night, the Cedar Ridge Women’s soccer team tied Northern Durham 1-1 at Red Wolves Stadium. Cedar Ridge nearly got the game-winner with 5:42 remaining in the 2nd overtime after Emerson Talley’s diagonal pass on a counter found freshman Ivy Garner, who was ruled offside on a borderline call. Junior Grace Davies was in net for the Red Wolves. It was her eighth game of the season. Davies has four shutouts this season for a Cedar Ridge team that has clinched a spot in the state playoffs for the third straight season. After the game, she discussed sharing time in net with senior Taylin Jean, and producing music that you can find on Spotify. 

Cedar Ridge GK Grace Davies Discusses 1-1 Tie with Northern Durham and Making Music

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Despite a disappointing loss to East Chapel Hill on Wednesday afternoon, the Cedar Ridge Women’s Soccer team has officially qualified for the 3A State Playoffs for the third year in a row. The Red Wolves’ back line has been anchored by centerback Brittany Daley, who has committed to play at Greensboro College. Daley, who has played on the varsity level for four years,  has scored four goals this season while helping goalkeepers Taylin Jean and Grace Davies. Cedar Ridge is 8-3-4 overall and 6-3-2 in the Big 8. Next week, the Red Wolves wrap up the regular season with two home games. They host Hillside on Monday and Southern Durham on Wednesday.  

Cedar Ridge Women’s Soccer Centerback Brittany Daley Discusses Preparing for the State Playoffs

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Taylin Jean is a three-sport athlete for Cedar Ridge, but not your typical one. She plays two sports during the spring. Currently, she’s the goalkeeper for the girls’ soccer team, where she’s posted given up only four goals all season. She’s registered four clean sheets, the most recent last Monday when Cedar Ridge shut out Orange 4-0. Occasionally, Jean plays as a midfielder and has scored two goals this season. Jean also participates in track and field. Over the winter, Jean was a starting forward on the Cedar Ridge girls basketball team, the only high school team from Hillsborough to make the state playoffs this season.

Editor’s note: I apologize for saying Chapel Hill girls soccer team in the introduction.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Taylin Jean

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Last Monday, the Cedar Ridge Women’s Soccer team defeated Orange 2-0, improving to 3-0-3 on the season. Emerson Talley has scored four goals this season and leads the team with ten points. Very quietly, Cedar Ridge has turned into Hillsborough’s most surprising success story so far this spring. They are 2-0-2 in the Big 8, good enough for 3rd place in the league. However, they have played East Chapel Hill to a 2-2 tie on March 5, and went to a scoreless tie against Chapel Hill on March 15. On Thursday, the Red Wolves defeated Northern Durham 4-0 at Jack Armstrong Stadium in Durham. Talley scores two goals and an assist, with Taylin Jean earning the win in net.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Emerson Talley

Last Monday, the Cedar Ridge Women’s Soccer team defeated Orange 2-0, improving to 3-0-3 on the season. Talley has scored four goals this season and leads the team with ten points. Very quietly, Cedar Ridge has turned into Hillsborough’s most surprising success story so far this spring.