Three first half goals were all the Blues needed, as Asheville City advanced to their second-straight USL W League South Conference Final with a 3-0 win over Lonestar SC.
The Blues got things started quickly, breaking through in the 13th minute. Juli Viera launched a rocket of a half-volley from the edge of the box into the upper right corner for an early Asheville lead.
Sarah Gorham tried a long-range rip in the 25th minute that forced a diving save from Caroline Dill.
Fourteen minutes later, Viera doubled the Asheville lead. Naroa Domenech hopped on a loose ball on the left side of the box and slid it back into the middle. It took a couple of deflections around the box before falling to Viera, who blasted her near-post finish past Dill to double the Blues’ lead.
Asheville didn’t stop there however, adding another goal four minutes later. Caitlin Conroy ran down a loose ball but was beaten to it by Dill. However, Dill’s clearance ricocheted off her own defender and into the net for a 3-0 Asheville lead heading into the break.
The second half saw much less action as the Blues managed the game effectively. However, twenty minutes into the half saw a dangerous chance go both ways.
First, Conroy jumped on a bouncing ball from the corner and let one fly from the edge of the box but she narrowly missed the upper right corner. Not even a minute later, Finley Schoenbeck found herself in a one-on-one with Lilly Heaslet, but her shot from the left side rang off the crossbar.
Seven minutes later, Brooke Pearson found herself behind the Lonestar defense in a one-on-one opportunity but Dill kept her shot out of the net.
The rest of the match showcased the Blues’ strong team defense, as they kept Lonestar off the scoresheet for a 3-0 win to advance to the Southern Conference Finals.
Juli Viera was named the Wicked Pie Player of the Match for her efforts on the night, which included two goals.
The Women in Blue return to Greenwood Field on Sunday, July 5th when they host FC Miami City as the Blues look for their second-straight Southern Conference Championship. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM. You can buy your tickets here.
