Preview: Boyle County gets set for program’s first girls state soccer semifinals
Boyle County will enter Thursday’s girls state soccer tournament semifinals at Lafayette High School as an underdog against the other teams assembled, but the Rebels haven’t let anything stop them yet.
“It’s all about the moment, and I told them, ‘Right now you all just need to enjoy the journey,’” Boyle coach Brian Deem told Danville’s The Advocate-Messenger after the Rebels defeated 11th Region champion Madison Central in last week’s first round. “‘Have no fear, whatever happens happens, just make sure that you go out there and play.’”
This is Boyle’s first 12th Region championship and state tournament appearance since 2015. West Jessamine has ruled the 12th and won two state championships in the interim (2016, 2017). The Rebels defeated West Jess in this year’s region title game via a penalty kick shootout.
“As a senior, this means a lot to me,” senior Anna Waters told The Advocate-Messenger. “I was here when we lost in the first round of districts. I’ve seen Coach Deem build this program up to what it is, and I’m super excited.”
Boyle, which ranked No. 21 in the final Maher rankings of the season, will face 5th Region champion Bethlehem in Thursday’s first semifinal at 4 p.m. The No. 9 Banshees topped last year’s state runner-up Elizabethtown in their region finals to get here. This is Bethlehem’s first state appearance since 2018.
The other side of the bracket features perennial state championship contenders No. 3 Sacred Heart and No. 4 Notre Dame in the 7:30 p.m. game. No. 1 Lexington Catholic and No. 2 Highlands were each eliminated in their respective region tournaments.
Sacred Heart is a seven-time state champion, the last title coming in 2020. Notre Dame has won it all four times, the last in 2021.
Here’s a look at this year’s girls soccer semifinalists.
BOYLE COUNTY (20-5-1)
Pedigree: 12th Region champion with eight tournament appearances but none since 2015.
End of season rankings: Maher-21st; RPI-29th.
Stat stuffers: Maggie Burke, 26 goals, 9 assists; Reagan Britt, 25 goals, 12 assists; Addison Hazlett, 24 goals, 13 assists; Ellery Taylor, 21 goals, 9 assists.
Tournament road: Beat Madison Central 2-0 and Russell 2-1.
Last meeting: Last met Bethlehem in 2017. Boyle is 4-0 against the Banshees in games since 2000.
Common opponents with Bethlehem: Beat Bullitt East 8-0; lost 8-2 to Lexington Catholic; lost 1-0 to Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Notes: Head coach Brian Deem also coaches the Rebels’ softball team and has led them to the state tournament seven times. He’s been coaching soccer longer and brought Boyle to state in this sport eight times. This marks the Rebels’ deepest run in the soccer tournament..
BETHLEHEM (20-4-2)
Pedigree: 5th Region champion with five state appearances since 2000. This is its first since 2018.
End of season rankings: Maher-9th; RPI-6th.
Stat stuffers: Carlie Thurmond, 31 goals, 19 assists; Ashlyn Miles, 22 goals, 7 assists; Tessa Miles, 21 goals, 15 assists.
Tournament road: Beat Bullitt East 6-0 and Henderson County 4-1.
Common opponents with Boyle: Beat Bullitt East 6-0; lost 2-1 to Lexington Catholic; beat Paul Laurence Dunbar 2-1.
Notes: Thurmond, a Morehead State soccer commit, helped Bethlehem reach the Girls Sweet 16 basketball tournament last season, averaging 17.2 points per game.
SACRED HEART (17-2-3)
Pedigree: 7th Region champion and seven-time state champion.
End of season rankings: Maher-3rd; RPI-2nd.
Stat stuffers: Lilly Lund, 25 goals, 4 assists; Mary VonderHaar, 11 goals, 3 assists; Nora Dimmitt, 10 goals, 7 assists.
Tournament road: Beat South Oldham 2-1 and Bowling Green 2-0.
Last meeting: The Valkyries topped the Pandas 4-1 on Aug. 12.
Common opponents with Notre Dame: Tied Assumption 1-1 and won 2-1; beat Elizabethtown twice 1-0; beat Highlands 3-1; tied Lexington Catholic 0-0 and lost 1-0; beat South Oldham 3-0 and 2-1.
Notes: Dimmitt is committed to Division I Bellarmine. Two wins this week would tie the Valkyries with South Oldham for most girls soccer state championships at eight.
NOTRE DAME (21-3-2)
Pedigree: 9th Region champion and four-time state champion.
End of season rankings: Maher-4th; RPI-4th.
Stat stuffers: Kate Lenihan, 12 goals, 2 assists; Kimberly Woeste, 9 goals, 2 assists; Riley Robertson, 9 goals, 2 assists; Cameron Kirtley, 8 goals, 4 assists.
Tournament road: Beat George Rogers Clark 5-0 and South Laurel 10-0.
Common opponents with Sacred Heart: Lost to Assumption 1-0 and won 3-2; beat Elizabethtown 3-0; lost to Highlands 4-1, tied 1-1, and won 2-1; beat Lexington Catholic 3-0; beat South Oldham 2-1.
Notes: Two of Notre Dame’s four state titles have come against Sacred Heart.
GIRLS SOCCER STATE TOURNAMENT
At Lafayette High School
Thursday’s semifinals
4 p.m.: Bethlehem (20-4-2) vs. Boyle County (20-5-1)
7 p.m.: Notre Dame (21-3-2) vs. Sacred Heart (17-2-3)
Saturday’s finals
7:30 p.m.: Championship game
