Messner’s career ends with 1-0 victory

GREENSBORO — Maggie Messner has experienced a state championship and a state championship runner-up season during her high school soccer career at Wheatmore High school, two memories that will remain etched in her memory banks for a long, long time.

But those memories will have to move over and leave room for another as Messner competed in the NCCA East-West All-Star Soccer Game last Tuesday night at Grimsley High School’s Jamieson Stadium. 

A beautiful pass from Northern Guilford’s Victoria Livaudais found Hough’s KyleeThompson all alone in front for the only goal of the game as the West captured a 1-0 win over the East, winning for the first time in the annual event since 2015.

Messner was a big part of holding the powerful East offense in check as she and her teammates kept the East squad off the scoreboard. It was a familiar scenario for Messner, who after moving to the defensive side of the ball once entering WHS, has been a part of 48 shutouts in 84 games during her career.

With the win, the West now leads the series 12-11-9. Entering the game, the East had won two straight all-star games, with the two teams tying in 2021.

"It went really well," Messner said in a published report. "Surprisingly, even though we only had three days together, we all bonded and came together really fast and really well. It definitely gave me a lot of self-confidence and made me feel a lot better about myself. It was also a last opportunity to showcase my skills.”

A three-time all-region selection, Messner moved to the defensive side of the ball after beginning her high school career at WHS. She was always a natural offensive threat, but WHS coach Rick Maness knew he needed a defensive stopper. Messner moved back and the Warriors excelled. 

During her prep career, WHS won four conference championships, earned three regional appearances, went to the state finals twice and won one state 2-A championship.

Messner is set to attend Appalachian State, where former WHS soccer stars Ellie Garrison, the state’s all-time leading scorer, and Summer Bowman will play, but Messner is not going to play for the Mountaineers. Instead, she will major in sports broadcasting and journalism and play club soccer.