Bishops eye another title after toppling Waccamaw

The South Carolina high school community learned an important lesson Tuesday night: Don't count the Bishop England girls soccer team out.

The Bishops, ranked No. 2 all season in Class AA in the state coaches' poll, topped No. 1 Waccamaw, 1-0, on Tuesday night. The victory gave the Bishops a 17-3 record and their eighth straight appearance in the Class AA-A state championship. The Bishops play Christ Church at 3 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.

"They counted us out from the beginning. We were ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll after winning the state championship last year," Bishop England coach Dave Snyder said. "We had difficulty getting to the top of the rankings. It absolutely provided motivation. The girls had to dig down deep and prove themselves. Our only in-state loss this season was to Wando (No. 1 in Class AAAA), and I felt we put up a good fight for most of that game. I knew the girls could pull themselves together against Waccamaw, and they did."

The Bishops' lone goal came in the 55th minute on a score by Lizzie Daly.

Snyder praised the defensive play of his unit, including all-state selections Erika Christensen, who recorded the shutout, and Abigail Thompson and Kerry Puckett.

"They had some forwards, including Chandler Murphy and Taylor Player, who may be the best combination of forwards I've seen," Snyder said. "They put a lot of pressure on us, but our defense was just outstanding."

The Bishops blanked Waccamaw, which scored 19 goals in its first two playoff games.

The High School League sanctioned girls soccer in 1991, and the Bishops made their first trip to the state championship the following year. They have played in the state championship every year since then, except for 2001 when Hanahan upset the Bishops in the Lower State championship. The Bishops won their first state crown in 2000, and have won seven state titles in a row.