Dreher girls win Class 3A soccer championship

Dreher junior Kasey Parker made the Class 3A girls soccer state championship her personal play ground and helped deliver the Blue Devils to their first state championship since 2002 with a 7-3 victory against four-time defending champion Hilton Head on Friday evening at River Bluff.

Parker scored five goals, and her speed and athleticism were unmatched by the Seahawks.

“When she’s on, watch out,” Dreher coach David Kleinfelder said. “That gives her 58 goals, so that’s a heck of a year. I’ve had teams that didn’t score 58 in a year. I’ve enjoyed being able to watch it.”

Parker deflected the attention to after helping close the Blue Devils’ 21-2 season.

“I couldn’t have done any of this without my teammates,” said Parker, a South Carolina commitment. “We play so well together and have so much camaraderie on and off the field. I love them, and I love the feeling of playing with them.”

The Blue Devils’ high-octane offense scored more than three goals in 21 of their 23 games and they showed how early and often Friday.

Parker started her dazzling display in the first half. Her her first goal came 45 seconds in when she got behind the defense and easily beat the Hilton Head goalkeeper. She scored her second goal in the 4th minute, when she dribbled through four defenders and made a shot from about 8 yards out.

Hilton Head slowed the onslaught momentarily when Rebecca Johnston also scored in the 4th minute. The Seahwaks tied the game the 10th minute, when Rebeka Parent scored off of a scramble in front of the goal.

Naomi Matthusen gave the Blue Devils the lead for good in the 20th minute with a goal from about 25 yards out. Parker then took control again. She scored on a penalty kick from 12 yards after she and the Seahawks keeper had a collision in front of the goal.

She added her fourth goal in the 35th minute for a 5-2 halftime lead. If that wasn’t enough, Parker added her fifth goal early in the second half. Matthusen rounded out the scoring late in the half with her second goal.

Hilton Head coach Ernie Suozzi praised Parker.

“She’s a very good player,” Suozzi said. “We’ve come up against a lot of good players and teams from Georgia, and she’s one of the best I’ve seen. But their whole team did a good job. That’s a team game, and her team supported her very well.”

Parker said she had a feeling it was going to be a special night.

“I felt something when I came out on the field,” Parker said. “I saw the look in my teammates’ eyes, and I just knew they were going to be on fire. It’s a great feeling. I really don’t have words to describe it right now.”

The offense for Dreher grabbed the headlines, but Kleinfelder was complimentary of the defensive effort against Hilton Head (21-5).

“This gets overshadowed because we score so many goals, but our defense held up when we needed it,” Kleinfelder said. “They did a great job.”

The victory also gives Kleinfelder his first state championship after coaching soccer for 36 years. He spent 12 years coaching the boys at Dreher before spending 12 years at Lexington. This was his 12th season coaching the girls at Dreher.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Kleinfelder said. “I want to celebrate with them and see the smiles on their faces. They’ve love to have fun.

“I’m just really proud of the girls. They played their hearts out the whole game. I felt like if we could get on a roll, we could really put some pressure on them and have them on their heels. (The girls) knew in the back of their minds, if we got it past midfield, there was a good chance it would be in the back of the net. I told them from the start I thought this could be a special year and a special team. They sure didn’t prove me wrong.”

This story was originally published May 15, 2015 at 7:36 PM.