FEELING BUZZED

EASTVILLE – Wilson Memorial moved on to the state semifinals with its 3-0 win over the Northampton Yellow Jackets on Tuesday.

The Green Hornets got off to a quick start, scoring in the 29th minute off a shot by junior Angelica Thacker — a shot that just rolled across the goal line. Thacker scored again in the 26th minute, giving the Hornets a 2-0 lead.

“It feels real good,” Thacker said. “I was really focused going into the game.”

Although Wilson scored back-to-back goals early on in the first half, they failed to score again until the second half.

The Hornets didn’t play up to their

normal caliber.

“The heat took us a while to adjust to,” said Hornet coach Scott Crist.

The Hornets’ play earned kudos from Northampton coach John Gorman.

“I think they played well. They moved the ball well,” he said.

Not everyone would agree.

“[The game] wasn’t what I was expecting,” Crist said. “You want to play well leading up to each game — I don’t think we did that.”

“We played good,” Thacker said. “It wasn’t our best, but we played better as a team than we did against George Mason.”

Midway through the second half, junior Chelsea Tolbert scored the third and final Wilson goal of the game.

Despite the fact that Wilson didn’t win by the margin some were expecting, it’s still moving on to play George Mason – the same team that beat the Hornets in the Region B championship — which hammered Washington & Lee 14-0 in their quarterfinal Tuesday.

“I’m happy to be moving on. I’m happy to be going to Radford,” Crist said.

“I’m real ready – we’re ready,” Thacker said. “It’s all I’ve been thinking about.”

On Wednesday, the Hornets will have a team day where they rest after the trek across the state and to talk about their next game.

“Now that we’ve played [Mason], there’s no surprise,” Crist said. “But, at this point, it’s not so much changing things tactically, it’s doing the mental things needed to win the game. It’s being willing to make the extra effort.”