Statesville opened up 3A state playoffs Wednesday with a 2-0 first-round victory over visiting Hickory Ridge.
Trent Gennusa broke up a scoreless tie in the 55th minute with his unassisted goal.
"Our defense played well enough to where we could control most of the game," Statesville coach Gordon Palmer said. "That was the key to our win, I think."
Jason Yang added another second-half goal off an assist from Brandon Quaglia.
Statesville goalkeeper Elliott Rushton registered six saves for the shutout.
Hickory Ridge, the No. 4 seed from the South Piedmont Conference, ends its season at 10-8-2.
The Greyhounds (13-8-1), the top seed from the North Piedmont Conference, advance to the second round, where they will host Concord on Saturday.
Game time has yet to be determined.
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