MORRISVILLE- For Green Hope seniors Morgan Burk and Rachel Wells, Tuesday night’s third round playoff game against visiting Sanderson was not just another game.

The duo had waited four years for this moment, and made the most of it to help lead the Falcons past the Spartans 3-0 and into the 4A East regional semi-finals for the first time in school history. Green Hope (18-4) will be matched up with undefeated Leesville Road (20-0-3) who had edged the Falcons 1-0 earlier this season.

Sanderson, who finished behind Leesville and Broughton in the Cap 7 conference, ended its season 10-8-3.

“We’re ecstatic,” said Green Hope goalie Burk, who posted twelve saves. “Last year we lost 3-0 to Broughton in this round, but to win 3-0 is very exciting.”

Burk, who will be attending the University of Missouri in the fall, stopped several Spartan shots while she was horizontal to the ground. Her save at the 22:48 mark of the first half on a Karri Owens penalty kick preserved a scoreless tie and allowed the Falcons to seize control of the momentum in a very competitive game.

“Morgan Burk was huge for us today and really held us in it until we got our offense going,” said Green Hope head coach Bobby Peterson. “Also, Rachel (Wells) really keeps our defense steady back there.”

Wells, who will be playing for N.C. State University in the fall, consistently was in the right position to assist Burk and prevent Sanderson forwards Owens and Anna Dulaney from getting easy shots on goal.

Wells also showed some offense, as she scored the first Falcon goal at the 12:50 mark of the first half on a corner kick opportunity. Sophomore midfielder Ashley Stokes picked up the assist.

“It just came to me and I kicked it right in the back of the net,” said Wells.

Green Hope, the number one seed from the Tri-Eight Conference, held on to the 1-0 lead throughout the second half, despite several Sanderson scoring opportunities, including half a dozen corner kicks. Midway through the period freshman Caitlin Messina stopped a Dulaney shot and seconds later Burk made a diving save off an Owens attempt.

“Ever since that first game with Leesville we have tried to get tougher mentally and it showed tonight,” Peterson said. “We didn’t let them push us around when they had those corners.”

Burk, Wells, Messina, Michaela Clarke and Haley Rafols consistently anchored the stingy Falcon defense. Peterson said in the final 15 minutes of the contest Green Hope started to play free and their offense really began to click.

Late in the game, Falcon senior Keris Evans made a pinpoint pass to Stokes and the sophomore booted the ball past Sanderson freshman goalie Kaylan Bragga (eight saves) with 2:58 to play to give Green Hope the 2-0 cushion.

Exactly one minute later Evans again assisted on a goal, this time to sophomore Ashley Shaffer, and the Falcons could celebrate a first in school history.

“We’re just so excited,” Burk said. “We really stepped it up there in the second half.”