Hilton Head Prep’s quest for a SCISA 3A girls soccer title came to a crashing halt with a 3-0 loss to a powerful Hammond School squad Thursday in Columbia.
The Dolphins controlled possession in the first half and had numerous scoring chances, but they couldn’t punch one in and the match was still deadlocked at halftime.
The Skyhawks took advantage of their depth to plug in players with fresh legs, which proved to be the difference in the second half. Hammond converted a corner and connected on two crosses after halftime to take control.
“It really takes a powerhouse to take this Prep team down and that is what they were, so kudos to them,” HHP coach Risa McMillan said. “I am so proud of our girls for
their spirit and support of one another this season. They took a whole lot of teams by surprise this spring as they pulled off win after win against large public and private schools.”
The Dolphins lose four seniors — Shania Diaz, Ansleigh Crenshaw, Bailey Sullivan, and keeper Sami Heginbottom — to graduation, and Diaz and Crenshaw are headed for big-time NCAA Division I programs, but they return plenty of talent off a squad that went 15-3 in 2021.
“They were fun to watch and even better to work with,” McMillan said. “We will miss our seniors, who were great role models and leaders for the rest of the team. We will back to fight the fight next year.”
