Girls’ soccer 2020: This season’s top teams, best players and biggest games in Lexington
Since 2001, Lexington Catholic has played Sacred Heart in girls’ soccer every season — often as one of the first few games — and sometimes two or even three times.
In all those years, 30 regular season games between two of the state’s top programs, Lexington Catholic has won a grand total of three times. They’ve tied twice.
This year, the defending 11th Region champions snapped a five-year drought with a 1-0 victory over the Valkyries barely a week after holding tryouts.
How did Coach Terry Quigley respond?
“Let’s just say, I didn’t go home and celebrate,” Quigley said with a slight chuckle. The coach usually counts on a loss early to help him evaluate his team. Sacred Heart happily obliges.
The win, Quigley said, “was nice, but, you know, we didn’t walk off the field and say, OK, now we’re better than Sacred Heart. That didn’t enter anybody’s mind.”
So, good news for Coach Quigley — he still has plenty to work on.
The bad news is during a coronavirus shortened season, there’s not a lot of time to do it.
“I worry about that,” he said. “There aren’t enough games to learn from. We’re going to have to hurry up and develop a team character and normally, you can wait on it. You can wait on it and not worry about it as long as you’re getting better.”
Everyone else hoping for postseason glory, however, is in the same boat. But they don’t have nine starters off a team that discovered its form during the region tournament last year, something Quigley’s squads usually seem to do.
This week, LexCath hosts the Lady Knight Challenge Cup, often a state tournament preview of sorts, that will feature 43rd District rival Paul Laurence Dunbar along with a slew of the state’s top teams, including Simon Kenton, Notre Dame, Assumption and Sacred Heart, once again.
Plus, there are eight other teams in Lexington, including three more in the MaherRankings.com top 25, who aim to deny LexCath a region repeat.
Here’s a look at Lexington girls’ soccer, with teams ordered according to the latest ratings by MaherRankings.com, the most commonly referenced high school ratings system over the past several years. Player honors and stats are from the 2019 season.
Lexington Catholic
Coach: Terry Quigley (29th season).
Rank: 2.
Last season: 18-7-1. 11th Region champion. Lost to Highlands in the state quarterfinals.
Week 1: 2-0. Defeated Simon Kenton, Sacred Heart.
Standing out: Emma James Bryant, sr., HM all-state, second-team all-city; Bailey Stephenson, sr., second team all-city, 11 goals, eight assists; Emily Scanlon, jr., second-team all-city, 14 goals, four assists; Sophie Skinner, jr., HM all-city; Kalee Opalka, sr., goalkeeper.
Coach says: On Bryant: “She’s just an outstanding player. She’s a defender, but she also the best dribbler on our team.” On Stephenson: “Started as a freshman, so she’s really a veteran player.” On Opalka: Came up big for us (last week) against Sacred Heart. Couldn’t have won it without her.”
Notes: The Lady Knights have won four of the last five region titles. Nine starters return.
Paul Laurence Dunbar
Coach: Megan Poage (third season).
Rank: 5.
Last season: 11-5-2. Lost to Lexington Catholic in the 43rd District semis.
Week 1: 1-0. Defeated West Jessamine.
Standing out: Carmen Combs, sr., HM all-city, seven goals, two assists; Ashlyn Fuller, sr., eight goals, three assists; Taylor Smith, sr., seven goals, four assists; Madison Smith, sr.; Isabella White, jr., six goals, two assists.
Coach says: On Taylor Smith: “The glue that keeps our team together in the middle.” On Madison Smith: “We are expecting great things from our center back.” On Fuller: “We can count on Ashlyn to leave it all on the field.” On Combs: “Able to excel in any position needed.” On White: Has “become an essential part of our offense.“
Notes: Won the region title in Poage’s first season in 2018. Five starters are back.
Tates Creek
Coach: Haydon Warren (first season).
Rank: 10.
Last season: 20-3. 43rd District champ. Lost to Lexington Catholic in the region finals.
Week 1: 0-1. Lost to Lafayette.
Standing out: Maiya Clark, so., 11 goals, 8 assists; Jamie Isaacs, sr., Jameela Shalash, jr.
Coach says: On Clark: “Brings speed and strength into the attack. Her ball handling and competitiveness will cause issues for opponents.” On Isaacs and Shalash: “Will provide valuable leadership to the squad.”
Notes: Graduated 13 seniors last year but has three starters back.
Henry Clay
Coach: Mebit Aragaw (15th season).
Rank: 17.
Last season: 11-5-2. 42nd District champ. Lost to Lexington Catholic in the region semis.
Week 1: 1-0. Defeated Frederick Douglass.
Standing out: Elisabeth Hundley, sr., second-team all-state; first-team all-city, five goals, two assists; Ella Pugh, sr.; Haley Flynn, fr.; Addison Kenny, so.
Coach says: On Hundley: “Quick, strong, and dominant in the air. Great with set pieces.” On Pugh: “Fast and covers a lot of space.” On Flynn: “She is one of the best for her age group.” On Kenny: “Has the ability to read the game and has good passing skills.”
Notes: Has won the 42nd District title five years straight. Last region crown came in 2011 when it was in the 13th. Six starters are back.
Lafayette
Coach: Taylor Roden (fifth season).
Rank: 20.
Last season: 11-7-1. Lost to Lexington Christian in the 43rd District first round.
Week 1: 1-0. Defeated Tates Creek.
Standing out: Kristin Gamble, sr., first-team all-city, 17 goals, seven assists; Ella Abraham, sr., first-team all-city, 18 goals, 10 assists; Sarah Hall, sr., HM all-city.
Coach says: On Gamble and Abraham: “Both players bring athleticism, intelligence, and poise to our front line.” On Hall: “A very dynamic player and defender who is great out of the air.”
Notes: Back-to-back winning seasons. Win over Tates Creek last week was the program’s first against the Commodores since 2004. Eight starters are back.
Lexington Christian
Coach: Michael Fulton (second season).
Rank: 27.
Last season: 8-7-1. Lost to Tates Creek in the 43rd District semis.
Week 1: 1-0. Defeated Danville.
Standing out: Caroline Hensley, jr., HM all-city, 18 goals, two assists; Marin Wills, so., HM all-city; Tia Alchureiqi, jr.; Ellie McCallum, jr.; Hadley Whipple, jr.
Coach says: “We have a young team with no seniors. I expect that these young ladies will share the responsibility of leading this team in 2020.” On Hensley: “Second in scoring last year.” On Wills: “very versatile player.” On Alchureiqi: “Reads the game well. She is a tough competitor.”
Notes: Has beaten Lafayette on penalty kicks in the first round of district play each of the last two years. Eleven players had starts last year.
Frederick Douglass
Coach: Megan Adkins (fourth season).
Rank: 37.
Last season: 14-9. Lost to Tates Creek in the 11th Region semis.
Week 1: 1-1. Defeated Russell. Lost to Henry Clay.
Standing out: Maliya Crump, sr., goalkeeper, first-team all-city; Emily Coke, sr., second-team all-city, 16 goals, 12 assists; Haley Buckman, jr., first-team all-city, 10 goals, five assists; Kaitlyn Brock, sr., HM all-city, Meghan DeSantis, sr., HM all-city, nine goals, 10 assists.
Coach says: On Crump: “She’s coming off a broken hand injury and is looking to have a tremendous senior season.” On Coke: “We’re looking to get a lot of points out of her this year.” On Buckman: “Can play anywhere on the field.” On Brock: “Anchor of the defensive line for four years now. Very smart. Very fast.” On DeSantis: “Killer on corner kicks.”
Notes: Have been to back-to-back 11th Region semifinals and have a 42nd District regular season title in just their fourth year of existence. Ten starters are back.
Sayre
Coach: Michael McKinney (seventh season).
Rank: 50.
Last season: 18-3. Lost to Frederick Douglass in the 42nd District semis.
Week 1: 3-0. Defeated Corbin, Bourbon County, Model.
Standing out: Allison Whitaker, sr., 24 goals 16 assists, second-team all-city; Alexis Henry, sr., 19 goals, 16 assists, first-team all-city; Cat Graves, jr., HM all-city; 100 saves; Cate Goodman, sr., HM all-city; Gigi Cornett, so.
Coach says: On Whitaker and Henry: “They work great together on combination play and both just have a competitor’s heart.” On Graves: “An unbelievable goalkeeper and all-around great athlete.” On Goodman: “Very vocal, very bright and keeps us organized in the back.” On Cornett: “A sophomore who plays with the heart of a senior.”
Notes: Put together a 13-game winning streak last season. Looking for its first regional appearance since 2008. Ten starters are back.
Bryan Station
Coach: Isaac Hayes (second season).
Rank: 149.
Last season: 0-16. Lost to Scott County in the 42nd District first round.
Week 1: 0-3. Lost to Garrard County, Scott County, Madison Central.
Standing out: Hanna Hunstad, jr., second-team all-city; Jocelyn Reynolds, jr., HM all-city; Kiersha Wilson, so., HM all-city; Abby Atwell, jr.
Coach says: On Hunstad: “Great ball-handler, excellent forward, fast.” On Reynolds: “Returning defender, solid.” On Wilson: “Returning midfielder, smart, leader, field general type.” On Atwell: “Energetic midfielder, motivated, quick, aggressive.”
Notes: The Defenders last had a winning season in 2016. They’ve had two coaching changes since and look to improve in Hayes’ second year. Six starters are back.
The biggest games
Sept. 14-19: Lady Knight Challenge Cup featuring Lexington Catholic, Dunbar, Highlands, Simon Kenton, Notre Dame, Manual, Assumption and Sacred Heart.
Sept. 14: No. 7 Notre Dame at Lexington Catholic.
Sept. 15: No. 10 Manual vs. Dunbar at Lexington Catholic; Bryan Station at Sayre.
Sept. 16: Lexington Christian at Tates Creek.
Sept. 17: Sayre at Henry Clay.
Sept. 19: No. 12 West Jessamine at Lafayette.
Sept. 20: Sayre vs. Lexington Christian (All ‘A’ Classic).
Sept. 21: Lafayette at Dunbar.
Sept. 23: Sayre at Scott County; No. 12 West Jessamine at Douglass; No. 19 Clark County at Henry Clay; Lexington Christian at Dunbar.
Sept. 26: Lexington Catholic at Lafayette; Dunbar at Henry Clay.
Sept. 28: Lexington Catholic at Dunbar; Tates Creek at No. 12 West Jessamine.
Sept. 30: Dunbar at No. 19 Clark County; Lafayette at Lexington Christian.
Oct. 3: No. 11 Assumption at Lexington Catholic.
Oct. 5: Douglass at Sayre; Dunbar at Tates Creek.
