LUMBERTON — Kenny Simmons knows that soccer is a fickle beast.

But even that knowledge didn’t help the Lumberton girls’ soccer coach cope with his team’s season-ending 2-1 loss to Hoke County in the first-round of the NCHSAA state 4-A playoffs.

The Pirates (15-7-1) held a 1-0 lead for the first 70 minutes of the game only to let Hoke score two goals in less than two minutes to steal the win.

“That’s soccer…that’s the nature of the game,” Simmons said. “We controlled the game from start until almost finish. The first 70 minutes were ours, especially in the second half. But that’s what happens when you let a team hang around.

“It was just one of those games.”

Lumberton dominated the Bucks from the onset, allowing Hoke just two shots in each half. But the Bucks got the most out of its last couple of shots.

“We talked about the importance of getting that second goal at halftime,” Simmons said. “We created so many quality scoring chances, but we couldn’t work ourselves that cushion. We did everything we needed to do except put the ball in the back of the net. It’s a disappointing way to end the season.”

Lumberton got on the board in the 20th minute on a goal by senior Morgan Haskins on an assist from sophomore Damillia Brooks.

But a combination of poor shot selection, miss-hits and improved defense by the Bucks prevented the Pirates from finding the back of the net again.

“Their defense really picked up after we got on the board,” Simmons said. “They did a good job of containing us and making it difficult to get good looks.”

Even though Lumberton continued to apply pressure, Hoke County never backed down, and finally broke through with 8:19 left when Kerri Ransom scored on a shot from 40 yards out.

The Bucks struck again 95 seconds later, taking an advantage of a poor clearance by Lumberton and scoring an easy goal by Tiffany Hammond.

“The first goal the girl hit a great shot and caught Rebecca sleeping,” Simmons said. “But then Becca came off her line again to make a play but couldn’t, and bang-bang, all of a sudden we’re down. You can’t take anything away from them though, they played a great game.”

The loss punctuates what has been a wild season for the Pirates.

From the early-season loss of Haskins and the emergence of Brooks as a potent scorer, to a puzzling loss to E.E. Smith and a Two Rivers Conference tournament championship, Simmons can only summarize it one way.

“It’s been a roller-coaster ride,” he said. “So many highs and so many lows. Emotionally it’s hard to deal. After such an unbelievable win (for the conference tournament championship) Thursday night in dramatic fashion and then to come out tonight the way we did ... it’s hard to deal with.

“This is the next season. In the end this is what you play for. We’re definitely grateful that we won the conference tournament. But it was time to turn our focus onto the state playoffs and we…played well enough to win the game but in the end it just wasn’t meant to be.”

His players, however, saw it otherwise.

“We got Kenny a Two Rivers tournament title in the last year of the league,” senior Katye Jobe said.

Added Haskins: “Coming into the season that’s all we wanted to do. Anything after that was icing on the cake.”