Three goals earn three-peat for Lexington Catholic in 11th Region girls’ soccer finals
Battling the wind and a tenacious Henry Clay defense, Lexington Catholic finally broke through both Saturday for a 3-1 victory to earn the school’s third consecutive 11th Region girls’ soccer tournament championship.
But the Knights couldn’t find the target the entire first half, sailing shots high or wide or into the waiting arms of the Blue Devils’ keeper with a steady, strong breeze at their back for the noon kickoff at Henry Clay High School.
“It was hectic. They have such a good defense and they’re a great team all around,” said Lexington Catholic senior midfielder Sophie Skinner, who scored the Knights’ second goal. “I think in the beginning, we were working a lot on our passing and holding the ball a little bit and then we finally got that first goal and it kind of took off after that.”
The changeover at halftime put the wind in LexCath’s face and Henry Clay’s play picked up as well.
“When we had the wind, we were our worst enemy, because we crowded the box and we went up too fast. We weren’t patient,” LexCath Coach Terry Quigley said. “So, when the wind was against us, it made us be a little more thoughtful. We weren’t winning the ball as much. Henry Clay came out and they were really on us, but that actually opened up the game. The spaces that opened up in the back are what led to the goals.”
Mary Martin Hampton’s run from one side of the field to the other stretched Henry Clay’s defense enough to allow a pass up the middle to Kylie May Stephenson on top of the 18-yard box. Stephenson took a touch to get the ball around a defender and onto her left foot for a shot that beat the keeper just inside the left post for a 1-0 lead 14 minutes into the second half.
Five minutes later, Olivia Bretz’s corner kick arced perfectly to Skinner just outside the 6-yard box on the far post. Skinner’s looping header tucked just underneath the crossbar for a 2-0 lead.
“I knew the wind was going to be a factor out here, and I knew I wanted to get on that back post to see if it would carry it back there. I had (Katherine Truitt) in front of me and saw it was going over, so I knew I had to jump up. It was a great ball by O — a perfect corner,” Skinner said. “That second goal was such a breath for us to kind of settle in and play our game after that.”
It only took three more minutes for sophomore forward Sydney Elbert to make it 3-0 on a shot similar to Stephenson’s. Henry Clay’s Haley Flynn scored for the Blue Devils (11-8) with three minutes left.
Now, Lexington Catholic (23-3) returns to the state tournament where they made a run to the finals a year ago and suffered a 2-0 defeat to Sacred Heart. The Knights have made nine such finals runs but only won once back in 2002 before anyone on the current team was born.
Sacred Heart, Notre Dame and South Oldham are among some of the top teams who could lie ahead. But first up, the Knights host 15th Region Champion Johnson Central on Monday.
“We know we have a lot of talent on our team. We’re pretty confident when we walk on the field, but we respect every team we play,” Skinner said. “We know there are going to be some very challenging games coming up. All we’ve got to focus on right now is hydrating, getting a good sleep, eating right, playing our game. When we play like us, I think we connect well and we play our best.”
State tournament draw
Lexington Catholic’s path to a state championship will be a little different for 2021 than it’s been in past years, but it might be no less difficult, although it comes with at least one home playoff game, a rarity in recent years.
Their game against Johnson Central is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.
The KHSAA’s Board of Control approved changes to how the brackets are formed for boys’ and girls’ soccer at its September meeting. The new draw splits the state’s 16 regions in two — 1-8 for the west, and 8-16 for the east — with a random opponent possible in each respective zone and RPI determining home field for the first two rounds. In past years, the first-round draw was confined to four-team zones and had a home-field rotation.
If LexCath advances, Notre Dame, the state’s No. 1 team, likely stands in the Knights’ path in the second round if the Pandas can top No. 19 Campbell County in their own first-round game. Notre Dame tops the KHSAA’s RPI ratings. LexCath is ranked No. 5. Johnson Central ranks No. 52.
“We have to focus on Monday. That’s the only thing we have to take care of,” Quigley said. “These girls have been successful this year because they have focused on the opponent in front of them. And they will do their best to prepare for Johnson Central.”
This is the first year the KHSAA has used RPI for soccer in any way, although it has been published for soccer and a number of sports since it began being used for late rounds of the football playoffs in 2019.
Last season’s random draw proved no less harrowing for the Knights, by the way. They drew back-to-back state runner-up Highlands in the first round in 2020 and needed a PK shootout to advance. They eventually lost to Sacred Heart in the championship.
The state semifinals on Oct. 28, and finals on Oct. 30, will be played at Frederick Douglass High School.
All-tournament team
Players selected for the 11th Region’s all-tournament team were: Catherine “Cat” Graves, Sayre; Ella Davis, Western Hills; Kamri Smith, Great Crossing; Abby Peck, Lafayette; Kally Lloyd and Tristen Hornsby, Madison Central; Claire Cress and Rebekah Christopher, Madison Southern; Addison Kenny, Chase Young and Makenna Rose, Henry Clay; Caitlin Loope, Sophie Skinner, Mary Martin Hampton and tournament most valuable player Katherine Truitt, Lexington Catholic.
State tournament
Sixteen teams remain in the state tournament. Here are the matchups, in bracket order (Some dates and locations still to be determined.):
▪ Ohio County at Mercy
▪ Henderson Co. at Marshall Co.
▪ Sacred Heart vs. Bardstown
▪ Bowling Green vs. South Oldham
▪ Estill County at South Laurel
▪ West Jessamine vs. East Carter
▪ Johnson Central at Lexington Catholic
▪ Notre Dame vs. Campbell County
This story was originally published October 16, 2021 at 10:24 PM.
