Marvin Ridge wins 3A girls soccer state championship

RALEIGH -- Senior forward Toni Lashley's spectacular first-half goal stood up as Marvin Ridge shut out Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in the N.C. 3A girls' soccer championship game at the Curtis and Jacqueline Dail Soccer Stadium at North Carolina State.

The win completed a perfect 24-0 season for Marvin Ridge, which won its first-ever N.C. girls soccer title to complete a sweep of the school year's N.C. 3A high school soccer titles in just its third year of existence. The boys won the N.C. 3A championship in November, beating Chapel Hill 2-1 in overtime.

The Mavericks notched the only goal of the game in the 19th minute, when Kaitlyn Sulser delivered a cross and Lashley made an acrobatic, mid-air volley that found the back of the net from about 10 yards out.

It was Lashley's team-leading 19th goal of the season.

Lashley, who was an offensive threat all day for the winners, was named the match Most Valuable Player.

It was a dominating performance for Marvin Ridge, as the Mavericks outshot Gibbons 19-1 and the Maverick defense did the rest. Marvin Ridge recorded its 20th shutout in 24 games and allowed only four goals all season.

Cardinal Gibbons, which rebounded after a slow 2-4-2 start this season, finished 16-5-3 overall. The Crusaders won a 2-A title in 2007.

Waxhaw Marvin Ridge  1 0 -- 1

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons  0 0 -- 0

19th minute MR--Toni Ashley (Kaitlyn Sulser)