Lexington Catholic girls’ soccer passes midseason test, but it has tough road ahead
Each season, Lexington Catholic’s Lady Knights Challenge Cup brings together some of the best girls’ high school soccer teams in the state.
There’s a trophy, of course, but what’s more important to the teams is how each stacks up when faced with top-flight competition and finding out what they need to work on in order to grab the real prizes at year’s end.
On Saturday for the first time since 2014, No. 2 Lexington Catholic won its own tournament in a finals match decided in a 5-4 shootout after a 2-2 tie in regulation against No. 5 Assumption. Coach Terry Quigley liked what he learned about his team.
“I learned the girls are tougher than I realized. They were playing a team that is certainly their equal,” Quigley said. “I think the girls are growing in confidence. They’re learning to stop feeling panic when they’re pushed back, because they are always going to be pushed back by good teams. They’ve got to be ready to handle it. They did today. It was a nice win.”
LexCath senior keeper Caitlin Loope saved the fifth and final spot kick in the shootout. Every kick by both teams had been made to that point. Mary Martin Hampton and Ally Nowlin scored the goals in regulation.
Pulled out of goal a few times by Assumption’s relentless attack, Loope’s defense was put to the test. It has only allowed nine goals all year, but two of them came Saturday against the Rockets. Loope’s backline teammates cleared a number of balls out of the 6-yard box during the match.
“We played so hard, and I’m so proud of this team,” Loope said. “We play together. We fight hard for each other, and that’s so important.”
This year’s Cup featured seven teams included in the latest Maher Rankings top 25 with Paul Laurence Dunbar filling the eighth position spectacularly with an upset shootout win over No. 12 Highlands last Monday.
Assumption (10-2) knocked out No. 4 Notre Dame (8-3-1), the defending state champions, in Thursday’s semifinals in another shootout. The Rockets ousted No. 9 Dixie Heights two days earlier. Notre Dame beat No. 13 Manual in its opening game.
Lexington Catholic’s path to Saturday’s finals included a 1-0 win over No. 11 Simon Kenton and a 4-0 win over Dunbar. The Knights also had to honor their obligation to the Kentucky 2A Championships on Thursday by traveling to Fleming County where they routed the Panthers 14-1 in one half of play in that tournament’s quarterfinals.
The Knights (12-1) have won 12 straight since a season-opening loss to No. 3 Sacred Heart, including a 6-1 win over No. 6 Elizabethtown. The Valkyries (11-2) might be the class of the field this year despite losses to two Indiana teams. South Oldham (9-1), last year’s state runner-up, ranks No. 1 in Maher’s computer rankings.
“Assumption’s really one of the best teams in the state, so the fact that we competed was the most important thing,” Quigley said.
The road to a fourth straight 11th Region title and beyond has more difficulty ahead for LexCath. The Knights will face No. No. 15 Lafayette (5-4-1) on Monday and much-improved No. 22 Lexington Christian (7-2-1) on Sept. 22 in important 43rd District matches. They also have a rematch with Assumption on Oct. 1, the last game before the postseason, and the Kentucky 2A event could bring No. 8 Bardstown if they both reach the finals this weekend.
“We definitely will use this going forward,” Loope said of how winning the Challenge Cup could help her team. “I can’t wait to see what Lafayette brings. They are always a good team. I know my team, as long as we play as we did today, we’ll be fine.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2022 at 12:31 PM.
