A stunned squad of Salisbury soccer players sat at home last year during the playoffs.

That didn’t turn out to be much fun, especially for a team with such a winning tradition. This year, the Hornets have done their best to make amends by going 19-3-1.

“Last year it just wasn’t there for some reason,”senior midfielder Ben Clark said. “We didn’t hang around each other that much. This year we do everything together and we think alike when we get out on the field.”

With their sparkling regular season behind them, the Hornets open the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A state playoffs tonight as the No. 2 seed out of the west region. They play host to No. 15 Mitchell at 6 p.m. in the first-round matchup.

On paper, Salisbury shouldn’t have much trouble against the third seed from the Western Highlands Conference. The Mountaineers (11-8-2) will embark on a three-hour drive and get off the bus with primary goal scorer Oscar Zepeda and little else.

Zepeda, a junior, broke the school record with 25 goals this season and scored in eight straight for the Mountaineers. Several of the Hornets have faced him on the club soccer circuit and know of his talent.

“We’re going to have our hands full,”Salisbury head coach Tom Sexton said. “Their whole game goes through him.”

Salisbury offers a more balanced approach. Alex Beaver leads the team with 28 goals. Daniel Butner owns 15 scores and 30 assists, Lynden Zuniga also has 15 goals and Bill Goodman has scored 11 times.

Despite that kind of firepower, Sexton is warning his players about being overly confident. Two years ago, upset-minded Starmount walked into Salisbury and took a 2-0 lead in the first five minutes.

The stunned Hornets rallied for a 7-2 victory, but that lesson remains.

“We were really pensive today. We’re quietly excited right now,”Sexton said.

The Hornets, who won the Central Carolina Conference, aren’t concerned about meeting up with the Mountaineers for the first time.

“It’s not different than when you’re playing anybody else,”Beaver said. “Do the same thing.”

That includes plenty of stingy defense. Salisbury has outscored its foes 93-24 this season and held the opposition scoreless 11 times.

“We’re concerned about playing good defense,”Goodman said. “We’re looking for a shutout.”

Added Butner, “Our first priority is on the defensive side. The goals will come.”

Keeper Seth Ruhlman hasn’t needed many scores this year. He hopes to shrink his already miniscule 0.72 goals against average as the stakes grow.

“Going into a tough match I get more psyched up,”Ruhlman said. “In your first playoff match you’re always on your toes. We all have to be in the right mindset.”

Thinking about missed postseason opportunities in the past will do that. So will mulling over what-might’ve-been last year, when a strong Salisbury team finished third in a two-playoff seed season for the CCC.

“This is the best shot of any year that we’ve had,”Butner said. “I want this one more than Iwant anything else. This is a great bunch of guys. I want it for all of us.”

NOTES:A Hornet victory would set up a Saturday contest against the winner of No. 7 Madison-No. 10 Mount Pleasant. … Shelby is theWest’s top seed. Wilkes Central and Charlotte Catholic round out the top four. Roanoke Rapids is No. 1 in the East. … Fellow CCC teams Ledford (No. 8) and West Iredell (No. 13) also will be in action tonight or Wednesday.

Contact Steve Hanf at 704-797-4287 or shanf@salisburypost.com .