Sophomore midfielder Chris Tziatzos knocked in the winning goal in the second overtime to lift Jacksonville to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Hickory in the North Carolina High School Athletic

Association state 3-A men's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University on Saturday night. Tziatzos, who came on as a sub in the second half, buried the game winner into the left side of the net with just 3:18 remaining in the second 10-minute overtime after Hickory failed to clear the ball out of its own end. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the final. Jacksonville played the final 35 minutes of regulation and all the extra time a man down.
Jacksonville had gotten the game-tying goal with just 2:40 left to play in regulation when Cormick Brennan found the back of the net after a wild scramble for the ball in front of the Hickory goal to knot the game at 1-1.
The Red Tornadoes grabbed a 1-0 lead early in the second half on a penalty kick by senior midfielder Conner Hartman after Jacksonville was called for a handball in the box. Hickory also had a couple of great scoring chances in the final 10 minutes but failed to convert before the Cardinals got the equalizer.
For most of the game, Hickory effectively contained the explosive Cardinal attack  which had outscored its opposition 36-4 in its previous five playoff games.     Hickory had a total of 11 shots, four on goal, while the Cards attempted 17 total shots with five of those on goal. The Tornadoes held an 11-8 edge in corner kicks.
Both teams were in the championship match for the fourth time, and each carried a 1-2 championship record into this final. Jacksonville finished the year with a 26-1 mark and won its final 24 in a row, with the only loss to 4-A state runner-up Charlotte Myers Park. Hickory had an 18-match winning streak snapped and the Red Tornadoes wound up 27-2.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2012 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dail Soccer Field, Raleigh
3-A CHAMPIONSHIP                                       

              1st 2nd 1OT 2OT Total
Jacksonville   0   1   0   1 - 2
Hickory        0   1   0   0 - 1

SCORING
45th minute            H--Conner Hartman penalty kick
78th minute            J--Cormick Brennan
97th minute            J--Chris Tziatzos

GREEN HOPE BLANKS MYERS PARK TO WIN NCHSAA 4-A CHAMPIONSHIP

Green Hope scored the only goals of the game in the final 14 minutes as the Falcons won their second consecutive North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A men's soccer championship, beating Charlotte Myers Park 2-0 at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University on Saturday afternoon.
The contest was a rematch of last year's 4-A state championship, in which Green Hope prevailed 2-1 in overtime.
Green Hope senior goalkeeper Sam Bissette, a 6-4 junior who made six saves and a couple of the spectacular variety, was named the championship Most Valuable Player. He helped keep Myers Park at bay, especially in the first half when the Mustangs seemed to have the edge in play, and then secured two saves on point-blank shots in the second half.
Green Hope captain Joshua Kennedy finally broke the scoreless tie in the 66th minute off an assist from Cole Dixon to give the Falcons a 1-0 lead. Then in the game's final two minutes with Myers Park pressing forward, Zack Compton got loose on a breakaway and put it in near post to secure the victory. Compton had come on as a sub in the second half.
The Falcons had eight shots on goal to seven for Myers Park, and the Falcons had two corner kick opportunities to one for the Mustangs.
The Falcons finished with a record of 24-2 and won their second NCHSAA crown in four trips to the championship match. Myers Park ended the year 20-4, with the Mustangs making their third consecutive appearance in the finals and sixth overall. Myers Park won its only soccer title in 2008.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2012 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dail Soccer Field, N.C. State, Raleigh
4-A CHAMPIONSHIP                          

                      1st      2nd      Total
Cary Green Hope        0        2    -    2
Charlotte Myers Park   0        0    -    0

SCORING
66th minute            GH--Joshua Kennedy (Cole Dixon)
78th minute            GH--Zack Compton

SOUTHWEST ONSLOW BLANKS LAKE NORMAN CHARTER IN 1-A FINALS

Southwest Onslow goalkeeper Nicholas Matics was selected as the Most Valuable Player on Saturday afternoon as he helped lead his Stallions to a 2-0 victory over Lake Norman Charter in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A men's soccer championship at Dail Soccer Field at North Carolina State University.
Matics was credited with six saves on the afternoon. The Stallions, with a stout defense and Matics in goal, allowed only 13 goals in their 18-game season. Sophomore midfielder Paul Bishop put Southwest Onslow on the board in the ninth minute as he won a challenge for the ball and then tucked it into the net for a 1-0 Stallion lead.
That goal stood until the 67th minute when Austin Tausch, Southwest's leading scorer on the season, crossed a ball that wound up deflecting off a Lake Norman defender  and going into the net for a 2-0 advantage.
For the game, Lake Norman Charter had seven shots on goal to four for the Stallions and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks. Both teams were playing in their first NCHSAA men's soccer championship, although the Stallions have made it to the regional level on four occasions. Southwest finished the season with a 14-2-2 record and won its final 12 matches, while Lake Norman Charter wound up 19-4-1 overall.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2012 STATE MEN’S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dail Soccer Field, Raleigh
 

1-A CHAMPIONSHIP   1st     2nd     Total
Southwest Onslow    0       2   -    2
Lake Norman Charter 0       0   -    0

SCORING
9th minute            SWO--Paul Bishop
67th minute           SWO--own goal