SOCCER: Trinity girls shut out Gatewood, headed for likely rematch with Westminster in semifinal

The defense each way was stout, but Trinity’s just a bit better in a low-scoring state quarterfinal match Thursday night. 

A couple of back-to-back goals by Lauren Williams and Chloe Rozier gave the Lady Crusaders a long-awaited lead early in the second half of the struggle, and a shutout on the opposite end held it for a 2-0 victory over Gatewood at Cleve Warnock Field to put them in the GIAA semifinals for a third-straight season. 

The round of 4 next week is likely to bring an early rematch of last year’s AA state title game between Trinity and Westminster Christian (of Watkinsville), which slipped away from the Lady Crusaders in a penalty kick shootout. 

The top-seeded Lions, as of Friday, still had to get through No. 8 Piedmont Academy in a quarterfinal match they were expected to win, though ironically against a team positioned in the same spot on the bracket from which they started their 2023 run. 

The tentative semifinal match, with a spot in the May 11 state finals (at Macon’s Stratford Academy) up for grabs, would be played Tuesday in Watkinsville. 

Trinity (14-3-1, 8-0 region) broke a 45-minute stalemate just a few clicks out of halftime Thursday, picking up where it had left off beforehand with some challenges via set piece – including on a third-minute throw that Addie Kendrick was nearly able to head in. 

A chance for the Lady Crusaders’ first goal would come soon enough, just moments later as Rozier and Williams caught a defender flat-footed and initiated a footrace toward goal. Williams crossed her way over to get a shot off, but it trickled to the right off a Gatewood deflection, bringing on a corner from the right side. 

Maddy George sent a low line drive that found its way across the box to the back middle, and Williams laid it in to put Trinity up 1-0. 

Some insurance came only three minutes later, as the Lady Crusaders bode their time for the right look after pushing a ball into the box and establishing control. Kendrick idled in the top left corner before setting up for a long shot that Gatewood’s Lily Huskins tried to stop, but at an odd angle that caused it to ricochet back toward her goalkeeper, who was in line to scoop it up. 

Enter Rozier, on a clever move from an unexpected angle on the right, to knock the ball in and stretch the lead to 2-0. 

“We talked about converting chances at halftime, and that the first 10 minutes of the half will be crucial to put a couple in on them, and that’s what they did,” Trinity head coach Aaron George said. “I kind of got after them a bit, as I felt Gatewood was dictating play, was more physical and wanted it more in the first half.” 

From there, Trinity dug in defensively with Mollie Hodges in goal, and Lea Yoder, Brinley Vinson and Charlee Grace Martin stepping up on the back line. The group held firm for the shutout. 

Westminster (11-1-1, 6-0 region 4-AA) replaced four seniors from its 2023 state championship squad, but quickly returned to the form in which it finished last season, falling in just one match back in March. 

“I expect another dogfight just like last year’s championship game,” George said. “I think they might be a little bit better than they were last year, and we’re gonna have to play extremely solid, but I have no doubt we can beat them. They have a forward that has scored about 60 percent of their goals and she’s going to be a key for us to stop. Brinley Vinson will get that assignment just like she did in last year‘s championship game.”