Orange Women’s Soccer

Photo by Bradly Nicholson 

Matchups between Orange and Cedar Ridge come and go. Some are competitive. Some aren’t.

On a night like Wednesday, it serves as a reminder that having the crosstown rivals in the same league can be a wonderful thing.

In what may have been the best matchup in women’s soccer in the history of the rivalry, the two teams combined for four goals in two, 10-minute overtime sessions.

With Orange trailing 5-4, junior Caroline Cathey took a short return pass off a corner kick from Lily Crayton and lofted it up from 25 yards. The ball bent under the crossbar and over the outstretched hands of Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Ellamarie Perel into the nylon. It was the final equalizer in a game full of them.

The game would end in a 5-5 tie, but it was fiercely contested down to the very last second in front of two grandstands full of fans that lived and died with every loose ball at Orange Soccer Field.

In the final scoring attempt, Orange senior Ella Wimsatt sent a long ball that led to a chase between Cathey and Cedar Ridge wingback Rachel Alverson. The two players collided as the buzzer sounded. Cathey was shaken up and was checked on by Alverson and several teammates as the long battle ended.

Orange has now gone unbeaten in its last eight games against the Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge’s last victory over the Lady Panthers came on April 17, 2019.

Cedar Ridge junior Fleury Nicholson finished with two goals. Cathey finished with two goals for Orange (7-4-1, 4-3-1 in the Central Conference).

It was yet another battle in a Central Conference that has turned incredibly competitive over the final weeks of the regular season. Both Cedar Ridge and Orange had wins over defending 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance last week. Orange is currently ranked #10 in the 3A East Region, with Cedar Ridge at #11.

Cedar Ridge appeared set to end Orange’s dominance in the rivalry when they bolted out to a 3-1 lead. Rose Garysmith, a Red Wolf centerback, completed the opening goal when she took a corner kick from freshman Kate Finnegan and kneed the ball into the lower right corner past Orange netminder Makayla Davis in the 16th minute.

Orange’s leading scorer, Elliana Sullivan Gaddy, tied it up after she took a throw-in from Wimsatt and chipped it past Perel from the right corner of the box from 17 yards.

Cedar Ridge had six corner kicks in the opening half. After Wimsatt disposed of a corner by Finnegan, Cedar Ridge’s Katie Paulakonis was grabbed by Orange’s Channing Mahaney in the penalty area, leading to a foul. Nicholson’s first goal came off the subsequent penalty kick, putting the Red Wolves back ahead 2-1.

Orange took the kickoff to the second half and Sullivan Gaddy’s attempt was blocked by Alverson. That sparked a quick Cedar Ridge counter where Paulakonis fed Nicholson, who switched to her right foot for a better angle and fired it past Davis from 19 yards with 38:29 remaining in regulation.

Orange controlled possession for the next few minutes until Cora Bailey scored to put Orange within a goal. Sullivan Gaddy’s corner led to a failed clearance by the Red Wolves. Bailey pounced on the loose ball and drilled it into the heart of the net.

Orange evened the game in dramatic, if somewhat controversial, fashion. The referee’s assistant ruled Orange got the ball on a throw-in with 1:48 remaining. Sullivan Gaddy launched down the right flank and fired in a shot from 20 yards with 1:10 remaining in regulation to tie it up at 3-3.

Cathey gave Orange its only lead of the night when she was fouled by Adelynn Nasseri in the box just 16 seconds into overtime. Cathey scored the penalty kick to put Orange ahead and she fired it into the upper left corner.

Finnegan, who had two assists in the game, took a throw-in and scored in the upper left corner with 3:49 remaining in the first overtime to even it up at 4-4.

Finnegan wasn’t done. With 1:32 remaining in the opening overtime, Finnegan took a loose ball and fed Paulakonis inside the nine-yard box. Paulakonis tucked it in with ease to put the Red Wolves back ahead 5-4.

On the warmest night of 2024, the Orange women’s soccer team pulled off its biggest regular season win in nine years.

Facing Eastern Alamance, the defending 3A State Champions, Orange wilted into a second overtime on Monday night after the Eagles rallied to tie with two goals in the final 23 minutes of regulation.

As has been the case with Orange athletics many times over the past four years, the spark the Lady Panthers needed came from Ella Wimsatt.

With 6:40 remaining in the game, Wimsatt created a turnover at midfield and fed Cora Bailey, who quickly returned the ball to Wimsatt. With striker Elliana Sullivan Gaddy making a strong counter run, Wimsatt supplied a perfect lead pass where only her teammate could catch it. Sullivan Gaddy inherited the ball on a dead sprint on the edge of the box and chipped it over the rush of Eastern goalkeeper Abby Darragh into the heart of the net.

Sullivan Gaddy thrust her arms in the air and hugged Wimsatt after the two combined for what was ultimately the game-winning goal. Senior Makayla Davis would quash the few remaining chances the Eagles had as Orange would hold on to a 4-3 victory. It was the Lady Panthers first win over Eastern Alamance since the two became conference rivals in 2022.

Arguably, it was the biggest regular season win for Orange women’s soccer since they defeated Chapel Hill in a shootout to open the 2015 season. For that year, even nonconfernece games ended in penalty kicks, unlike nowadays. The 2015 team wound up 15-4-2, finishing behind only Cardinal Gibbons in the Big 8 Conference.

Sullivan Gaddy, who leads the team with 15 goals, finished with a brace. Wimsatt assisted on two goals as Orange shook off a disappointing 2-1 loss to Southern Alamance in Graham last week to improve to 6-3, 3-2 in the Central Conference.

“We always learn from losses,” said Orange coach Jacki Mignosa. “We should have won against Southern Alamance. We learned the we all have to play together as a team. Playing as individuals does not win games. I feel like we played as individuals against Southern. Tonight, we played together and it made a huge difference.”

Eastern took an immediate lead when Orange was called for a foul in the box. The Eagles’ Ryan Gibbs cashed in the penalty kick along the near post for the opener.

Orange’s equalizer started when centerback Lily Crayton’s throw0in went to Baily, who bumped it off her chest to Caroline Cathey. On a breakaway, Cathey fired the ball into the upper right corner of the net to tie the game with 30:09 remaining in the first half.

Davis made several huge saves before Orange took the lead. After a foul on Jaylen Crayton, she captured a free kick from 23 yards out. Minutes later, she collided with an Eastern player on a through ball that was supplied by Ryan Gibbs.

“Makayla had a great game tonight,” Mignosa said. “She communicates extremely well from the back, which is very helpful. She’s just learning and working hard every day. I’m very proud of her.”

With 15:56 remaining in the first half, Wimsatt started a counter, negotiating a give-and-go with Sullivan Gaddy. Dribbling free up the field, Sullivan Gaddy fired a shot from 18 yards that went off the hands of Darragh and rolled into the lower right corner of the net to put Orange ahead 2-1.

Centerback Channing Mahaney kept Orange lead with 9:20 remaining in the first half. After Davis made a save on Ainsley Dial, Eastern’s Abby Brinker captured the ball from ten yards away in front of an empty net. But Mahaney cleared the ball off the goal line as Davis was out of position.

Shortly into the second half, Sullivan Gaddy fed Bailey in the middle of the box for an insurance goal to put Orange ahead 3-1.

Dial scored with 7:23 remaining in regulation to even the game 3-3 for the Eagles.

Orange hosts Western Alamance tonight in Hillsborough.

It wasn’t just another edition of the Hillsborough Derby between the Orange and Cedar Ridge women’s soccer teams at Red Wolves Stadium. It was possibly the highest scoring game ever between the two teams. Orange scored three goals in the opening six minutes, then got the Elliana Sullivan Gaddy scored the game-winning goal for the Lady Panthers with 38:54 remaining in regulation as Orange won 7-5 over the Red Wolves. Sullivan Gaddy finished with four goals, bringing her total to nine on the season. Senior Ella Wimsatt finished with two goals and two assists. Cedar Ridge junior Fleury Nicholson finished with four goals, including a penalty kick in the second half that brought the Red Wolves within one goal. Wimsatt cashed in the final goal for Orange with 46 seconds remaining on a goal from Cora Bailey. Senior Makayla Davis earned the win as the goalkeeper for Orange. There was solid defensive play by freshman Kaylen Crayton, who plays on the backline with her sister, senior Lily Crayton. Orange’s Caroline Cathey scored a goal to put the Lady Panthers ahead 2-1 early. Orange is now 4-2, 2-1 in the Central Conference. They will face Southern Alamance in Graham next Monday. Cedar Ridge will host Northern Durham on Wednesday night at Red Wolves Stadium. 

Orange Soccer’s Elliana Sullivan Gaddy, Makayla Davis & Kaylen Crayton talk win over Cedar Ridge

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After someone stays at one place long enough, it becomes a part of them.

That’s why Katie Belle Sikes was emotional on Wednesday night. Though she dipped into the ocean on family vacations as an adolescent, the 25-yard pool at the Orange County SportsPlex was where she went from just playing in the water to becoming a swimmer.

It all started in 2014. Through her voracious work ethic, Sikes made the SportsPlex the location of her daily routine. For the past decade, she became just as much a part of the SportsPlex as the pool itself. It led to her becoming the most decorated swimmer in Orange High history.

Her final meet at the SportsPlex came during the Central Conference Championships on Wednesday night. She went out as only she can, being named the Conference Swimmer of the Year for the second time.

Sikes led Orange to its second consecutive team championship. The Lady Panthers came away with 417 points. Cedar Ridge, keyed by strong finishes from juniors Sophia Stinnett and Quinn McCrimmon, finished second at 371 points.

“I was super emotional,” Sikes said. “It’s the last time I was going to swim here after so long. It’s really bittersweet. I’m so happy I got to swim here for so long, but the fact that it’s coming to a close is really, really sad.”

Orange had first-place finishes in seven of the 12 events to earn the team title. Sikes broke her own school record in the 200 yard freestyle by five seconds. She touched the wall at 1:53.92. Stinnett finished second at 2:06.14.

Sikes also claimed gold in the 100 yard freestyle, where she is the defending 3A State Champion. She finished at 50.81 seconds. Abigale Robinson of Walter Willams finished runner-up at 1:01.81. Ainsley Rasinske of Orange came in third at 1:03.06.

Sikes ends her career with six individual conference championships. There weren’t any Big 8 Conference Swimming Championships (where Orange competed in 2021) during Sikes’ freshman year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was also the final meet at the SportsPlex for Orange senior Riley White, who encouraged Sikes to try swimming when she was still in elementary school.

Riley won two individual gold medals. She claimed the 200 yard individual medley at 2:19.17. McCrimmon earned the silver at 2:31.51, while Rasinske took the bronze (2:37.23). In the 100 yard breaststroke, Riley finished first at 1:13.28. Alejandra Gonzalez, a freshman at Walter Williams, was second while Cedar Ridge sophomore Hala Zafar came in third.

For the second year in a row, Orange’s Piper White won the 50 yard freestyle. This year, White won the sprint at 26:54 seconds. White also won the title as a freshman last year.

For the third time in her career, Stinnett claimed a conference championship. This time, Stinnett won the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:31.96. It was Stinnett’s first conference crown in the 500. In 2022 and 2023, she captured the 200 yard freestyle.

Orange junior Zoe Jones earned silver in the 500 at 6:12.50.

McCrimmon won her second individual championship in the 100 yard butterfly. In a tight race, McCrimmon won at 1:04.66, beating Piper White to the wall. White finished at 1:06.80. Jones came in third at 1:08.02.

Last year, McCrimmon took the conference title in the 200 yard individual medley.

Cedar Ridge’s team of McCrimmon, Stinnett, Zafar and Sierra Godfrey won the 400 yard freestyle relay at 4:19.23. Last year, McCrimmon, Stinnett, Zafar and Abbygale Pearce finished runner-up behind a quartet from Northwood.

Orange, the defending 3A State Champions in the 200 yard freestyle relay, won another conference championship. Sikes, White, Rasinske and White took the title at 1:47. 82. Southern Alamance’s Annabelle Hazelwood, Sophia Eusantos, Autumn Barber and Sydney Williams finished second.

F0r the first time in recent history, Orange had a female diver participate in the conference championships. Junior Lily Howard, who had been a swimmer in her first two years at Orange, finished third at 219.75. Western Alamance’s Michaela Bentley won the conference championship with a score of 357.00.

The Orange women’s soccer team celebrated its Senior Night with a victory over crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Monday night. It was a night to honor a group that accomplished what no other women’s soccer team in school history had done: reach the third round of the state playoffs. Abby Monteith, Isabel Jones, Sydney Rogers, Katelyn Van Mater, Madison Orange, Teresa Rodriguez and Hannah Hummel were all part of playoff victories over Harnett Central and Cape Fear last season. Monteith, who is this week’s Orange Panther of the Week, had to battle back to play this season. Last May in a third-round state playoff game against Walter Williams, Monteith suffered a torn ACL sprinting for a loose ball. It took months of rehabilitation and mental strength to get back to the pitch this year. On Wednesday night, Monteith earned the win in net as Orange defeated Person 10-1. Madison Orange scored a goal against the Rockets. Rogers suffered an injury during training last fall, but had a senior night of her own last fall. Along with Katelyn Van Mater and Isabel Jones, Rogers was a prominent member of the Orange women’s tennis team that won it’s first conference championship in school history last October. Van Mater has also been a forward for the Orange women’s basketball team the past three seasons. Jones scored five goals this season and has been a member of the varsity for four years. Together, many of these players were together as eight graders when the Orange Chargers won their first Orange Person Athletic Conference championship in school history in 2018. After its win over Person, Orange is 8-6-2 and will travel to Northwood on Monday night for the final week of the regular season.

Orange Panther of the Week: Abby Monteith, and an interview with the Orange women’s soccer seniors

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Senior goalkeeper Abby Monteith vowed she wouldn’t cry on Orange’s Senior Night, though no one would have blamed her if she did.

She had earned it through the joy of being a vital part of the greatest postseason run in Orange women’s soccer history last year–and the agony of everything she endured just to return to the pitch this year.

Orange’s Senior Night included the obligatory banners honoring each of the seniors hanging along the grandstands, an array of orange and white balloons greeting spectators as they entered Orange Soccer Stadium and plenty of emotion among players, parents and fans. After Orange defeated crosstown rival Cedar Ridge 5-1, the Truck Bed Rowdies, a group of fans who watch every home game from the north end zone sitting on the tailgates of their trucks, stormed the pitch like Wrexham had just earned promotion to England’s Football League.

Orange sophomore Elliana Sullivan-Gaddy scored her first hat trick of the season as the Lady Panthers improved to 7-6-2, 5-4 in the Central Carolina Conference.

Sullivan-Gaddy factored in on all five goals for Orange. She assisted on the game-winner by another sophomore, Caroline Cathey, in the second minute, which was wildly ironic. In the opening game between the two teams at Red Wolves Stadium on March 22, they played to a scoreless tie in regulation. The Lady Panthers notched the only tally on an own goal in the second overtime to win 1-0.

In the 15th minute, junior Ella Wimsatt scored on another assist by Sullivan-Gaddy.

Monteith earned the win in net for Orange. Last spring, Monteith was in net when the Lady Panthers advanced to the third round of the 3A State Playoffs for the first time in the 34-year history of the program. In the second half against Walter Williams in Burlington, Monteith suffered a torn ACL sprinting after a loose ball with 32:03 remaining in a 1-1 game. She left the game and faced a long summer to get healthy again.

Undergoing physical therapy at UNC, there were just as many mental tests and physical ones.

“It was a lot of sitting around,” Monteith said. “I think if there’s one thing that I want to voice for all athletes going through injury, it’s the mental health aspect. It’s a lot of sitting and watching. That’s the hardest part. My physical therapist was phenomenal. It’s really hard to get through it, on your own especially. So having people around you and a good support system is just all you can ask for.”

Last Wednesday, Monteith made seven saves as Orange defeated Walter Williams 2-1 to complete a regular season sweep of the Bulldogs.

While Monteith returned to action, another prominent member of the senior class had her 0wn ACL issues. Midfielder Sydney Rogers, a dominant playmaker, was injured while training last October. It would cost her her senior season.

Well, almost all of it.

For her Senior Night, Rogers participated in the opening kickoff agains the Red Wolves. She took the first pass, relayed it out of play and left the game.

Rogers will go on to play in college, like her older sister Jordan, who played at William Peace in Raleigh. While she’s been relegated to the sidelines this year, she’s found ways to keep herself busy.

“It’s been really sad because I don’t get to play,” Rogers, who became the first female in history to score a point for the Orange football team last year. “But it’s fun getting to see the other side of the field. I always will want to be involved in soccer and I think it’s fun that I’ll still get to be involved in high school where I get to have a joy for it. And get to see other people’s joy for it.”

Last season, Rogers scored seven goals and dished out three assists. None of the goals was more precious than the game-winner at Northwood, where she scored in the final minute. Rogers was so elated, she, well, threw up after celebrating, portions of the output landed precariously close to her classmate Madison Orange.

“That was an interesting memory,” Orange laughs. “I’ll never forget that night. That will always be in the back of my brain.”

Madison Orange has spent three seasons on varsity and scored six goals in her career.

Senior Katelyn Van Mater assisted on Sullivan-Gaddy’s second goal in the 52nd minute. Van Mater is no stranger to Senior Nights. Being a three-sport athlete, she’s already had two of them this year.

Along with fellow senior soccer player Isabel Jones, Van Mater was a regular player for the Orange women’s tennis team, which won the first conference tennis championship in school history last fall. Last winter, she was a forward for the women’s basketball squad that reached the state playoffs for the second straight year.

“This means a lot,” Van Mater said about earning the win on Senior Night. “It’s good to earn strong since this was the last senior night.”

Jones, who is second on the team with five goals, has spent four years on the varsity level. Last year, she scored five. Two of them came in playoff wins over Harnett Central and Cape Fear.

“Most of us have played together since out freshman year,” Jones said. “We’re all best friends. It’s sad. We’re all going to different colleges and that’s super emotional. But I’m glad we pulled out the game and it’s a really great win.”

Teresa Rodriguez, a defender who suffered a right foot injury at midseason, was another player who was lost before the season ended.

“It hurts a lot that I won’t get to play for the rest of this season,” Rodriguez said. “But it’s meant a lot for me to grow and be around my friends. To be around my family. Soccer is a big part of me. I hope to play professionally. I also think not going to be able to play without my friends in the future will be tough since we grew up playing together.”

Many of the Orange senior class were members of the 2018 squad at Orange Middle School (then called Stanford Middle School) that won the Orange Person Athletic Conference championship, the first Chargers team to ever won a conference title in women’s soccer.

“It’s like part of a family,” said Hannah Hummel, another senior. “Playing with people that are your friends that would want to spend time with. It’s special.”

A long battle for the Orange women’s soccer team against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge ended with a goal in the second overtime for the Lady Panthers. Caroline Cathey fired a shot inside the six-yard box that went off a player’s leg and into the net in the 94th minute for the game’s only goal as Orange defeated the Red Wolves 1-0. Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Addie Reid turned back shot after shot against the Lady Panthers and nearly earned the draw for the Red Wolves. At the opposite goal, Orange senior Abby Monteith earned her fourth clean sheets of the season. It’s been a gratifying week for Monteith. On Monday night, Orange returned to the Burlington for the first time since the 2022 3A State Playoffs last May. Orange defeated Williams 3-2. Last May in the state playoffs against Williams, Monteith suffered a torn ACL in the second half. Since then, Monteith went through a grueling period of rehabilitation to get back in game shape for her senior year. Last year, the Orange women’s soccer team became the first team in school history to reach the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. Orange will play at Durham School of the Arts tonight in its final game before spring break.

Orange soccer’s Abby Monteith and Caroline Cathey discuss overtime win over Cedar Ridge

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The Orange women’s soccer team is the lowest-remaining seed remaining in the state playoffs.

That’s not just in the 3A State Tournament. That goes for all four classifications sanctioned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (actually, Orange is a #23 seed. So is Cardinal Gibbons, who will face Middle Creek in the 4A State Tournament tonight in Cary).

Tonight, Orange will attempt to reach the state quarterfinals when they face Walter Williams in Burlington. Kickoff is at 7PM.

The Lady Panthers’ run to the third round of the state playoffs may be a surprise to some outside observers. For many of the players, however, it continues a wave of confidence that started after a double-overtime loss to eventual Central Carolina Conference champion Eastern Alamance on April 12 in Hillsborough. Since then, the Lady Panthers have gone 6-2.

For a select few players, they knew something special could eventually happen for Orange women’s soccer way back in 2018.

Madison Orange, Syndey Rogers, Allison Torkewitz and Lauren Garcia were among the players who were members of Orange Middle School’s (then called Stanford Middle School) 2018 Orange Person Athletic Conference Championship team. It is still the only team in the history of Orange/Stanford Middle School to win an OPAC Championship in women’s soccer.

In 2018, the Chargers defeated longtime power Phillips 2-1 in the championship game, avenging its only loss in the regular season. Orange Middle finished 7-1 that year. It was the only time in school history where the Chargers defeated all four of its OPAC rivals in the Southern Division (Phillips, Culbreth, McDougle and Smith) in a single season.

It was a milestone for Orange Middle School soccer. Now, some of those players have led Orange High to another milestone–the best postseason run in the 34-year history of women’s soccer at Orange.

Preparing how to train some of those players is something Lady Panthers head coach Jacki Mignosa was mulling back when Garcia was still in eighth grade, while Orange, Torkewitz and Rogers were in the seventh.

“When I had this group come up, it was ‘Let’s get them trained,'” Mignosa said. “Let’s get them working together, playing together constantly. Then, by the time they’re juniors and seniors, then this is where we are. And it worked.”

There have been notable additions along the way. Senior Bella Brown arrived in 2020 from Burlington Christian Academy . Brown scored a hat trick in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Cape Fear in Fayetteville, ending the night with a stunning goal from 20 yards that sailed across the 18-year-box into the left corner of the night. It was her ninth goal of the season.

Freshman Elliana Sullivan Gaddy, who leads the team with 12 goals, went to Central Park Middle School in Durham. She plays with the Mebane Youth Soccer Academy as her travel team.

“This is the best soccer I’ve ever played in my life,” Sullivan Gaddy said the day after she scored two goals in a 5-3 win over Harnett Central. “It’s the most welcoming community that I’ve had. Eastern Alamance was the toughest team we’ve had to play. It has been a pretty tough conference.”

Orange was supposed to face Williams on Monday night, but it was postponed after severe storms tore through the Triad, which is appropriate. The Orange-Williams regular season series was as unpredictable as a North Carolina spring.

On April 14, Williams rolled past Orange 2-0 in Hillsborough. The following week, Orange traveled to Burlington and pounded the Bulldogs 5-0. It was Williams’ most lopsided loss of the season. Lady Panthers goalkeeper Abby Monteith notched the clean sheet.

Whatever happens tonight, this group of Lady Panthers will walk off the pitch knowing they’ve done something that no over Orange team before them ever did. The deepest playoff run in school history.

“I think it’s going to be a tough game,” Mignosa said “I really do. We split with them this season. So it’s going to be another battle. But as I told my team, I believe in them. And they just have to believe that they can do it.”

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is freshman soccer striker Elliana Sullivan Gaddy. Last week, the Orange soccer team won two state playoff games for the first time in the 34-year history of the team. On Monday night, Orange stunned Harnett Central 5-3 in Angier. Sullivan Gaddy scored two goals and assisted on another goal. On Wednesday night, Orange defeated Cape Fear 5-2 in Fayetteville to reach the round of 16 in the state playoffs for the first time ever. Sullivan Gaddy scored the game-winning goal in the second half when she broke up a pass back to Cape Fear’s goalkeeper and tucked the ball away into an empty net. It was Orange’s seventh road win. Sullivan Gaddy is the leading scorer for Orange with 12 goals and 28 points. On April 25, Sullivan Gaddy scored a goal and two assists in Orange’s 5-0 win at Walter Williams in Burlington. She had a four-game goal scoring streak starting against Williams. It continued against Cedar Ridge on April 27. During that span, Orange won four consecutive games. Sullivan Gaddy, Bella Brown and Isabel Jones have added up to a strong forward combination for Orange, which has propelled them to the strongest postseason run in team history. The Lady Panthers will journey to Burlington tonight to face Walter Williams in the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs.