Albany Herald

Photo by Danny Aller

LEESBURG -- It was just not to be for Lee.

The Lee County girls soccer team fell to Starr's Mill Saturday night, 2-0, in the GHSA Class AAAA Elite 8 -- ending a dream season for the Lady Trojans, who made it further than the school's soccer program -- boys or girls -- had ever gone.

"We played really well and really hard," Lee County coach Dave Baltenberger said. "(My girls) came ready to play."

Unfortunately for the throngs of fans who came out to support the Lady Trojans' moment in school history, so did Starr's Mill.

Both goals were scored early in the opening half, the first of which came just four-and-a-half minutes in by Mandy McCalla, while the second was netted less than four minutes later by Stewart Pope.

Ashley Law, Lee County's shutout queen this season in goal, said she hated to go out like this, but was happy with how the season went as a whole.

"I was nervous at first, but it wasn't that bad of a game," said Law who had 12 saves and is headed to Coastal Georgia in Brunswick on a softball scholarship. "We worked hard and played our best."

Lee County played a defensive game for the first half, but came into the second half with a more aggressive strategy.

But it produced no goals.

"Lee County gave us a very tough quarterfinal game," Starr's Mill coach Deanise Myers said. "They play a very physical game and coming down here has made us better."

This was the final game for Lady Trojan seniors Haley Cimino, Lindsey Crawford, Kelly Polk, Rachel Hatch, and Law.

"They're awesome players and we're gonna miss them," Baltenberger said.

Hatch, the reigning Herald Player of the Year who is headed to Darton in the fall, said she was proud of her team and their accomplishments.

But that didn't make losing any easier.

"I hate that we lost my last match," Hatch lamented.