September 28, 2011
by William Bretherton
wbretherton@cherokeetribune.com
There’s an old saying: “You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl.”
In the case of Emily Dover, that rang true.
After a standout career at Sequoyah, where she became the county’s all-time leading scorer with 92 goals, Dover continued her soccer career at Georgia State.
But after just two years in Atlanta, she decided it was time to move back outside of the metro area, and she transferred to North Georgia College and State University, a Division II school in Dahlonega, before the 2010 season. Dover wanted more playing time on the field, and she wanted to be closer to her younger sister, Whitley, who was beginning her freshman season with the Saints.
“I played (at Georgia State) for my first two years and enjoyed it,” Emily Dover said. “I loved the team and the atmosphere, and also the high level of soccer. It was very challenging. But I wanted to do something that was still challenging and still fun — a happy medium.
“Division I was more of a job. Division II is still challenging. I also got to play soccer with my sister, Whitley. It was definitely a heavy influence. I didn’t really look anywhere else (besides North Georgia). If (Whitley) wasn’t here, then I would have stuck it out at Georgia State.”
Playing time and the chance to play with her sister weren’t the only things that persuaded Emily to go to North Georgia though.
“I grew up near Sequoyah (High School), which was more like Dahlonega than Atlanta,” Emily said. “I feel a little bit safer here, and it’s a little bit quieter. I really enjoy being here in Dahlonega and playing for the Saints.
“I did have to encounter a few different things in Atlanta. There was a murder in my apartment (complex). It didn’t really affect me as much, but it was a classmate of some of my teammates. It was definitely different in Atlanta experiencing things like that instead of living in the country.”
As Emily adjusted to living in downtown Atlanta, Whitley played at Creekview after transferring from Sequoyah. Though Whitley wasn’t as highly touted over her career, she became a goal-scoring threat for the Lady Grizzlies.
In the spring of 2010, Whitley led Creekview to the state finals, where the Lady Grizzlies fell to St. Pius X. On top of that, Whitley scored 32 goals, giving her 101 for her career and breaking her older sister’s county record.
Now reunited at North Georgia, Emily and Whitley had the chance to play on the same field several times throughout the 2010 season.
The opportunity for the sisters to play together came to an end over the spring, however, as Whitley tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee.
“Unfortunately, our time together got cut short,” Emily said. “She’s injured and out for my last season. She had surgery in May and won’t be coming back until October or November to do basics. So, we got to enjoy one season together.
With younger sister cheering on, Emily Dover has emerged as North Georgia’s top scorer with six goals and two assists through the Saints’ first seven games — all wins. Last year, Dover only scored seven goals all season.
Having outscored its competition 18-3 during its team-record start, North Georgia is ranked 11th in the NSCAA Division II poll.
While Whitley is out with her injury, her presence is clear at practices, home games and many away games. She also knows that her college experience has become that much richer of an experience because of her older sister being at her side.
“College is definitely more than soccer,” Whitley said. “It definitely takes up a lot of time, and I’ve learned time management and responsibility. But me and my sister, I think we kind of help each other through that. If I’m having trouble or need advice, it’s nice to have Emily less than 2 miles away.”
Read more: Cherokee Tribune – Reunited Dover sisters see success at North Georgia
