'Don't count us out': Ashley girls soccer keeps playoff run alive

There was a noticeable tension surrounding the Ashley girls' socce r team as it stepped onto the field Monday, May 18, for a third-round playoff showdown with Fuquay-Varina. The Screaming Eagles were favored, but confidence and certainty are two different things in May. Ashley entered the match battered and bruised, with at least four starters dealing with injuries in some form.

Any nerves eased quickly. SPRING SPORTS PLAYOFFS Wilmington-area 2026 high school spring sports scores, brackets Just minutes into the match, sophomore Riley McNulty found the back of the net to give Ashley an early lead and a needed jolt of energy. She struck again in the 65th minute, delivering both goals in a 2-0 victory over the No.

6-seeded Bengals. The win sends the No. 3-seeded Screaming Eagles (16-4-2) back to the state playoff quarterfinals for a fourth consecutive season.

“It’s a sisterhood here,” McNulty said. “You can play hard for each other the whole game and not get the goals, so when you finally do, it’s just a different kind of feeling. It’s amazing.