University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Fall Flashback – Hilary McKay’s Hall of Fame Career
10.14.2020 | Women's Soccer
When UNC Asheville women's soccer coach Michele Cornish signed local product Hilary McKay to a scholarship in the spring of 2002, she believed that Hilary would make a big impact on the Bulldog program.
Cornish was never more right in that assessment.
The Asheville native grew up with the Bulldog program, going to Cornish's soccer camps for years and enjoying a great high school career at Asheville HS and an impressive club career at Highlands Football Club.
And she would go on to have an amazing career for UNC Asheville. Hilary would lead the Bulldogs through a golden period of women's soccer. Asheville would reach the Big South title game three times in her career and win two regular-season titles.
McKay would rewrite the Bulldog record book with her scoring. She would complete her career as one of the greatest players not just to play for UNC Asheville but in the Big South Conference. Hilary would be elected to the UNC Asheville Hall of Fame in 2015 and be selected to the Big South Conference Hall of Fame in 2019.
There was no freshman adjustment period for McKay. In her second game as a Bulldog, she scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-2 victory over Campbell. Hilary helped lead Asheville to its best regular season in four years with seven wins. In the Big South Tournament, McKay helped lead the Bulldogs to two upset wins in penalty kicks as Asheville made the Big South Championship game. Asheville would fall 2-0 to top-seeded Radford but McKay had already made a name for herself.
Hilary was named Big South Rookie of the Year and earned her first of four consecutive first team All-Conference honors. She also made the All-Tournament team. She was tied for the team lead in goals scored with nine and was second in points with 24.
Her sophomore year would be one of the greatest seasons that any player in the history of the Big South Conference would ever enjoy. Hilary would be one of the top goal scorers, not just in the Big South but in the nation. She would complete the season with a league-record 21 goals, six assists and 48 points.
Stunningly, Hilary was not named Big South Player of the Year. She did earn first team All-Conference honors again. In the Big South Tournament quarterfinals against Winthrop, she scored 30 seconds into the match as Asheville advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 victory. Hilary added two goals in the semifinals as the Bulldogs blanked Charleston Southern 3-0.
Asheville would advance to the title match for the second straight year but would be denied a trip to the NCAA Tournament with a heartbreaking loss to host High Point in penalty kicks. And she would make the All-Tournament team for the second straight tourney.
The Bulldogs enjoyed their best overall record in eight years as they finished with 11 victories.
Hilary's junior season would be a frustrating one in many ways. She missed half of the season with an ankle injury and really wasn't healthy the whole year. But McKay would still lead Asheville in goals scored with six and assists with four. Her teammates would rally around her and play more of a defensive style which led the Bulldogs to their first ever Big South regular-season title. Asheville would go 6-0-2 in league play and would finish with 11 wins for the second straight year.
She was named first team All Big South for the third straight year despite only playing in half of Asheville's matches.
The 2005 season would be Hilary's senior one. She would go out in a blaze of glory. Despite being targeted by every opponent, McKay would lead the league in goals scored with 17 and in points with 41. She was finally named Big South Player of the Year and helped lead the Bulldogs to their second straight conference regular-season title. Her final home game at Greenwood Field would be against Campbell. The Camels were McKay's first ever opponent at Greenwood Field in her freshman season. She would be a nightmare for Campbell again as Hilary tallied three goals and an assist as the Bulldogs rolled past the Camels, 4-1.
Asheville would finish with a 13-6-0 overall record, second best mark in school history. The Bulldogs would fall in the championship game to Liberty and thus end the career of one of greatest to ever wear Blue & White in any sport.
McKay graduated as the conference's all-time leading goal scorer with 53, as well as the career leader in points scored with 128 (she is now second in both categories after holding the records for nine years). The only player in Big South history with 50 career goals (53) and 20 career assists (22), McKay was voted to the Big South's Women's Soccer 2000-09 All-Decade Team.
Hilary would finish her career with 42 wins. Her senior class would be the winningest class in school history.
Yes, Michele Cornish was right when she signed Hilary in the spring of 2002. She would indeed make an impact on the Bulldog program. An impact that is still being felt to this day.
