Girls’ state soccer highlights: Goal in final minutes gets West Jessamine to semifinals
After nearly 78 minutes of scoreless soccer, Eva Mitchell took one of her toughest shots of the night off a delivery from fellow University of Kentucky commit Anna Lee.
It went in, sending West Jessamine past Sacred Heart 1-0 in the KHSAA Girls’ State Soccer quarterfinals Saturday night at Paul Laurence Dunbar. The Colts get 8th Region champion Simon Kenton in the semifinals Wednesday night at Bryan Station.
“Wednesday night at Bryan Station, the storm will be rolling in there,” West Jessamine Coach Kevin Wright told his team after the game. “’Cause this is the storm. You stave the storm until you become the storm. Well, this is the storm.”
Wright was referencing the gauntlet West Jessamine has faced getting to the semifinals. It toppled Boyle County, at the time ranked third in the Maher Rankings, 2-0, in the 12th Region finals in a downpour at Southwestern. It toppled No. 2 Notre Dame on the ninth kick of a shootout earlier this week on the road. Sacred Heart was ranked No. 1 coming into the week and had lost to only one Kentucky team (Highlands) this season.
Mitchell got a tight angle on a Sacred Heart defender and received a quick pass from Lee in the box after having dished it to her running mate seconds prior on the possession. Sacred Heart keeper Sarah Stodghill came out to get in front of the shot but Mitchell poked it between Stodgill and the left goal post to put West Jessamine in front with 2:12 remaining in the contest.
It was Mitchell’s seventh shot attempt and her fifth on goal. Stodghill finished with five saves for the Valkyries. Freshman Anna Rexford had six for the Colts.
“I finally made one of ’em,” Mitchell said of her winning goal. “I was like, ‘I’m finally getting this next one’ and luckily I got it.”
Lee was confident that Mitchell would get the score when she played the pass.
“She told me at halftime, ‘Next time you get me that ball, I’m making it,’” Lee said with a smile. “The next time I got it to her, she made it.”
LexCath rolls
Lexington Catholic dominated Russell in a 6-0 quarterfinals victory. The Knights got off 19 shots — 12 on goal — to just three for the Red Devils.
Kennedy Tranter, a University of Kentucky commit, scored four goals — three in the first 20 minutes — on seven shots. Her first score came just five minutes into the contest off a Caroline Hourigan assist.
Maggie Corbett and Alexis Burdine scored LexCath’s other two goals. The Knights will play Owensboro Catholic in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bryan Station. The Aces, who fell to Lexington Catholic in last year’s semifinals, advanced after scoring two first-half goals in a 2-0 win over Greenwood.
Josh Moore: 859-231-1307, @HLpreps
Lexington Catholic 6, Russell 0
G—LC: Tranter 4 (5’, 17’, 20’, 42’), Corbett (15’), Burdine (79’).
GK—LC: Williams, Thompson (41’). R: Abshire.
Records: Lexington Catholic 16-8-2, Russell 18-4
Simon Kenton 4, Owensboro Catholic 0
G—SK: Allen (8’), Dougherty (36’), Zoeller (49’), Case (57’).
GK—SK: Yates. LC: Moore
Records: Simon Kenton 21-3-1, Lawrence County 18-3-2
Owensboro Catholic 2, Greenwood 0
G—OC: Moore (6’), Thomas (40’).
GK—OC: Mitchell. G: DeMarse.
Records: Owensboro Catholic 23-3-1, Greenwood 17-4-1
West Jessamine 1, Sacred Heart 0
G—WJ: Mitchell (78’).
GK—WJ: Rexford. SH: Stodghill.
Records: West Jessamine 22-4-1, Sacred Heart 17-4-1.
This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 9:17 PM with the headline "Girls’ state soccer highlights: Goal in final minutes gets West Jessamine to semifinals."