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The Pinecrest soccer team opened the 2006 season Thursday with a 1-0 win at Rocky Mount High School.

Senior defender Silas Cole's goal was the difference in the bruising defensive match. His score came in the 55th minute on a deflected shot from 30 yards out.

Defense led the way for the Patriots, with senior defenders Charlie Davis and Jim Hobbs instrumental in the shutout of the Gryphons, a team that reached the third round of the state 3-A playoffs last season.

The stingy Patriot defense limited Rocky Mount to just four shots, with only one shot in the first half testing Patriot goalkeeper Glenn Holmes.

The Patriots had numerous scoring chances throughout the game but had difficulty hitting their target. Pinecrest had a total of 25 shots on goal.

Freshman Thomas Goulden stood out on right wing with great runs threatening the Rocky Mount goal and quality crosses into the goal area.

The Patriots dominated the second half of play, pressuring the Rocky Mount defense into a handling call in the penalty box in the 65th minute.

However, the subsequent penalty kick was missed.

Pinecrest has another tough out-of-conference match Monday night at home against Laney High School. Junior varsity action begins at 5 p.m., with the varsity squads facing off at 7 p.m.

Vikes Win in Volleyball

The Union Pines volleyball team won its season and Cape Fear Valley Conference opener three games to one over Overhills on Thursday.

The scores of the games were 25-10, 21-25, 25-19 and 25-12.

Caroline Lea led the Vikings in serving points in the home match with nine. Lindsay Wilborn led in blocks with four and Courtney Sauer was tops in kills with nine.

The Vikings have another home conference date on Tuesday against Southern Lee, beginning with the junior varsity match at 4:30 p.m.

NM Soccer Undefeated

The North Moore boys' soccer team is 3-0 after a 7-1 home victory over Central Davidson Thursday.

Eric Diaz and Carlos Avila each contributed two goals and an assist as the Mustangs broke open a close match with a pair of early second-half goals.

The Mustangs entertain Trinity in another non-conference match at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

The game started out slowly with both teams feeling each other out.

The first goal came in the 27th minute of the first half. Eric Diaz, who had three near misses to that point, finally converted off an assist from Carlos Avila.

Several minutes later the Mustangs broke through again. This time Avila and Diaz switched roles, with Avila taking a through ball from Diaz and one-touching it into the net.

At halftime, Mustang coach Michael Shamberger told his team it needed to pick up the pace, and move the ball from inside to outside and from outside to inside more with combination one-two passes.

The first two goals of the second half came within 20 seconds of each other. Both were created by forwards pressuring the Spartan defenders, forcing turnovers.

In the 46th minute, Diego Garcia won a tackle about 18 yards from the goal, took a couple of dribbles and beat the goalkeeper at the far post.

Seconds later, Diaz pressured the Spartan sweeper as he was trying to clear a ball from in front of the goal. He stole the ball and punched it into the net.

The final three goals were scored by Omar Gonzalez, Avila and Edwin De La Cruz. The Central Davidson goal was scored by Irving Molina at the 61-minute mark of the second half.

The North Moore goalkeepers were Bernardo Cruz and Ozzie Castillo.

PHS Gets Tennis Win

The Pinecrest girls' tennis team picked up a 9-0 win over Richmond County in its season and Mid-Southeastern Conference opener Thursday.

The visiting Patriots didn't drop a set in defeating the Raiders.

Pinecrest 9, Richmond 0

Singles --Tanya Bator (P) defeated Elizabeth Arnold 6-1, 6-1; Susi Priebe (P) def. Hollie Hodges 6-0, 6-0; Morgan Maples (P) def. Sara Ahman 6-0, 6-0; Lyndsey Anderson (P) def. Katie Easterling 6-1, 6-0; Mary Vess (P) def. Holly Webb 6-0, 6-0; Laura Brenner (P) def. Jill Baldwin 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles --Maples-Anderson (P) def. Arnold/Hodges 8-4; Vess-Haley Cioccolanti (P) def. Ahman-Easterling 8-0; Sarah Wilkison-Victoria Van Vliet (P) def. Webb-Baldwin 8-1.

NM Splits in Tennis

The North Moore High School girls' tennis team earned a split in two Yadkin Valley Conference tennis matches this week, winning at South Davidson on Monday by a score of 7-2, and losing to Chatham Central at home on Wednesday, 9-0.

In the match at South Davidson on Monday, the Mustangs won four of the six singles matches, and then swept the doubles.

North Moore 7, South Davidson 2

Singles -- Mollie Richardson (NM) defeated Anne Pauly 6-2, 6-4; Sandy Boles (NM) def. Holly Harris 6-3, 6-1; Heather Gore (SD) def. Heather Gray 6-3, 1-6, 7-3 (tiebreaker); Corey Wright (NM) def. Whitney Suggs 6-2, 6-0; Casey Bledsoe (SD) def. Amber Gray 6-4, 1-6, 7-1 (tiebreaker); Courtney Dunlap (NM) def. Katie Addington 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles -- Richardson-Boles (NM) def. Pauly-Haris 8-2; Wright-A. Gray (NM) def. Suggs-Addington 8-4; H. Gray-Dunlap (NM) def. Gore-Bledsoe 8-3.

Chatham Central 9, North Moore 0

Singles -- Liles (CC) def. Richardson 4-6, 6-4, 7-4 (tiebreaker); Willet (CC) def. Boles 6-0, 6-4; Gains (CC) def. H. Gray 6-0, 6- 0; Varkey (CC) def. Wright 6-1, 6-0; Curtis (CC) def. A. Gray 6-1, 6-0; Wicker (CC) defeated Dunlap 6 - 1, 6 - 0.

Doubles -- Liles-Willet (CC) def. Richardson-Boles 8-4; Curtis-Varkey (CC) def. Wright-A. Gray 8-1; Gains-Baird (CC) def. H. Gray-Dunlap 8-2.