South Brunswick girls soccer wins first playoff game in 7 years

After seven years without a postseason win in girls soccer, South Brunswick High School didn’t just return to the playoff win column Thursday, May 14. The Cougars stormed back into it.

Behind a five-goal performance from junior standout Meryn Deutsch, No. 7-seeded South Brunswick rolled past No. 23 Havelock 5-2 on May 14 in the second round of the NCHSAA 5A state playoffs in Boiling Spring Lakes.

Just three years ago, the Cougars finished 6-12. Now, they’re 16-3-1, conference champions and two wins away from the state semifinals. At the center of that transformation has been Deutsch, who pushed her season total to 58 goals Thursday while delivering the program’s first playoff victory since 2019.

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South Brunswick's #5 Meryn Deutsch celebrated with her teammated as they took on Havelock May 14, 2026.

“This was my goal from the beginning of the season,” Deutsch said of her scoring total. “It’s something I’m proud I’ve accomplished. It’s a great feeling.”

Deutsch’s impact stretches well beyond the soccer field. While she's one of the state's top scorers on the soccer field this spring, the multi-sport standout averaged 19.9 points per game during basketball season and has become one of the faces of a growing wave of success in South Brunswick girls athletics.

In recent years, athletes like softball star Kina Davis (Now at North Carolina) and lacrosse standout Morgan Hill (Lander) have helped elevate expectations around the school’s girls programs. Deutsch has become the latest star to continue that trend.