The Portal Lady Panthers advanced to the state Class-A D-II Elite-8 with a 6-0 victory over Georgia Military College Tuesday in Portal.

Helping to lead the way was junior striker Colby Stewart who was held scoreless in the first half, but ended up scoring three goals in the second half earning a hat trick in the process.

“Colby has really come a long way,” said Portal coach Johnnie Sanchez. “When she first got here, she would just use her speed to kick the ball forward and run it down for a goal. Now she has some dribbling skills, and has some power in her legs to score from deeper out. She has had a great season and is improving every day.”

“I think I have tried hard to get better,” Stewart said. “I have put in the work in practice to be a better all-around player. I play more on offense, but I think one of the biggest strengths we have is our defense. They do a great job of not only stopping our opponents, but they set the offense up really well to get us the ball in the right place. I think we have a chance to go all the way this year.”