By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Through the opening month of the season, Western Alamance’s girls’ soccer team obtained victories on a regular basis.
But the undefeated Warriors got what they really needed on last week’s trip to Eastern Alamance.
Western, a reigning state champion, was tested deep into the Mid-Carolina Conference game before prevailing 4-1 on three second-half goals.
“Probably the toughest game we have on our schedule,” Western coach Camden Brooks said. “We hadn’t really been challenged.”
Alison Thomas provided two goals and two assists, Kayley Lee provided a goal and an assist, and Emma Gryniewski also scored for Western, which had its narrowest winning margin in its seven games this season.
Brooks said the Warriors have largely the same lineup that captured the state championship last year.
Eastern suffered its first defeat in nine games (6-1-2) under first-year coach Marisa Camuto.
The Eagles also benefited from the back-and-forth action, though they surrendered multiple goals in a game for the first time in 2026.
“The girls were ready,” Camuto said. “It was intense on both sides. Both teams were intense.”
Yet when Western scored less than two minutes into the game on Scott’s first goal, the Warriors were off and running. That didn’t continue for the rest of the half, which was fairly evenly played with both teams firing on the opposing goalkeeper.
Eastern’s Maddy Loranger put the Eagles on the board with 2:39 left in the half. Loranger received a pass from Jailyn Cunningham and went down the left side and drilled a shot into the net.
About 13 minutes into the second half, Western earned a corner kick. Scott knocked in the ball off a scramble in front of the net.
Barely two minutes later, Lee delivered another corner kick from the same side. This time, Gryniewski headed it in and suddenly the Warriors seemed in command.
“We turned it around after the first half,” Lee said.
Western had built momentum before converting off the corner kicks.
“We really work on some of those set pieces,” Brooks said.
Western goalkeeper Camden Markey came up big a couple of times in the first half and made five saves.
Eastern’s Bella Scott stopped 10 shots, keeping the Eagles within range.
Lee scored the last goal on a long shot with 40 seconds remaining.
“Just having fun and enjoying this with my teammates,” Lee said.
Would-be Western opponents Mallard Creek and Greensboro Grimsley dropped off the schedule, so the Warriors have been interested in seeing quality competition. The matchup with Eastern was needed.
“I wish we had more of these,” Brooks said.
There’s a rematch April 17 at Western.
“The intensity is going to be there and even more the second game,” Camuto said.
