Queens of the shootout win second straight soccer title

West Jessamine, the queens of penalty kick shootouts, survived another on the biggest possible stage, as Edie Meyer put home the game-winner Saturday to give the Colts back-to-back championships in the KHSAA Girls State Soccer Tournament at Lafayette High School.

“We never quit. Twice in penalties we were done and Anna Rexford came up huge,” West Jessamine Coach Kevin Wright said. “Both teams — what a championship game. I’m so proud of my kids: the heart, the fight.”

But the game almost didn’t make it to PKs. With about nine minutes left in regulation, Notre Dame appeared to have the go-ahead goal off a free kick by Maddie Wilhoite from about 25 yards out. Wilhoite put her try on the frame of the goal and over Rexford. The Pandas celebrated. The P.A. announcer declared the goal. But the referee went over to the assistant to confer and ruled Rexford had been interfered with as the shot went by. The goal came off the scoreboard and play continued.

After 80 minutes of scoreless soccer and two blank overtimes in which Notre Dame dominated much of the second half with more shots on goal (4) and more possession of the ball, West Jessamine pushed the game to penalty kicks for the second time this tournament and fourth time in their two title runs.

Unlike the perfect 6-for-6 shootout in the semifinals on Thursday, the Colts kicked into two saves against Notre Dame keeper Cassidy Craig. When Hailey Cole missed, it put the Colts in a 3-1 hole. Rexford saved the next shot.

Then West Jessamine’s Delaney Long missed and Notre Dame’s Kylie Long stepped up with a chance to win it. But Rexford guessed correctly and got the stop to her right.

“I just had to do it for my team,” Rexford said. “I heard Coach Wright over here and he said, ‘You’ve got to come up big Anna!’ and I said ‘OK,’ and, it happened.”

The Colts’ Kami Yantz made her shot to extend the game to a sudden-death round in which the first unanswered make ends the game. Notre Dame got to shoot first in the extra frame just as they did in the first shootout.

After Notre Dame’s Ellie Hellman put her shot over the bar, Meyer stepped up for the Colts to win it. It was the same shot she made to get the Colts to the finals on Thursday. The official score Saturday: 1-0 after a 4-3 shootout margin in favor of the Colts.

West Jessamine becomes the first girls team to win back-to-back titles since Sacred Heart’s three-peat from 2007 to 2009. For the second year in a row, the Colts ended Notre Dame’s season on penalty kicks in the tournament. Last year, Notre Dame fell to West Jessamine in the first round.

Boys’ finals

St. Xavier cruised to its 13th state title in the KHSAA Boys’ State Soccer Tournament Saturday with a 3-0 win over defending champion Daviess County.

Case Cox’s goal 12 minutes into the second half on an assist from Bennett Moorman sealed the win for the Tigers. It came on the heels of a Conner George score off a Cox assist just two minutes earlier.

The Panthers came out the aggressors to start the first half, but soon St. X’s speed on the edges began to tilt the contest.

“We came out amped up,” George, the tournament MVP, said. “But there’s good amped up and bad amped up and fortunately we were able to settle down.”

Samuel Reid eluded two defenders and tight-roped the end line to set up a pass to George, who then found Robert Goodin charging. Goodin’s blast from the top of the box gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead 15 minutes into the game.

The Panthers nearly equalized on three consecutive corners near the end of the first half, but St. X goalie Haydon Korfhage was able to collect his spill before Daviess found it.

From there, St. X controlled the contest with more shots (17/9) and shots on goal (7/2).

No team has won more titles than St. X, but this is the school’s first championship since 2012 when they capped a streak of five straight.

This story was originally published November 4, 2017 at 10:25 PM with the headline "Queens of the shootout win second straight soccer title."