APEX — On Friday night, the Green Hope Falcons girls soccer team showed encouraging signs as they get ready for the 2009 NCHSAA state playoffs that started this week.

The Falcons defeated host Apex 3-1 in a game that decided the No. 1 seed for the Tri-Eight Conference. Both Green Hope and Apex tied for the regular season conference championship. The Falcons finished with two losses, one to Apex and one to Panther Creek, while the Cougars had one loss but two ties, forcing the seeding game.

“We wanted the No. 1 seed,” said Green Hope head coach Bobby Peterson, whose Falcons improved to 15-4 on the season. “Last year we tied Apex but they came into our place and took the 1 seed.

“This is a big deal for us. Apex has always been the best in the conference.”

The Falcons scored all three goals in the first half. Reilly Brown scored the first on a free kick at the 15:53 mark, and then three minutes later sophomore Anya Koren delivered a beautiful shot from about 35 yards away, putting some spin on the ball and getting it past Cougar goalie Mari Edwards for the 2-0 lead.

Koren added her second goal at the 28:58 mark on a penalty kick, giving the Falcons a commanding 3-0 lead at intermission.

“Give a lot of credit to a Green Hope team who came in with intensity and were ready to play in that first half,” said Apex head coach Kevin Todd, whose Cougars had done the same thing in the first meeting between the teams, a 5-1 Apex victory. “This was a lesson for us in mental preparation.”

The Cougars came out stronger in the second half and did not allow another Falcon goal.

Junior Maddi Burkey delivered a powerful kick from 30 yards away midway through the period to give Apex its lone goal, but the Cougars were unable to get any more shots past Green Hope goalie Morgan Burk, who finished with nine saves.

“These girls love playing together, and the camaraderie on this team is like none I’ve ever seen,” Peterson said. “When they lose, there is no pointing fingers or whining, they just fix it and come out and get it done.”

Both Apex and Green Hope will host first round games against teams from the Greater Neuse River conference, but the second round could be challenging with matchups against Cap Seven powers Broughton and Leesville Road on the horizon.

Apex won the state title in 2007, while Green Hope has made it as far as the third round.