Bryant hat trick helps Lexington Catholic survive girls soccer first round
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- Lexington Catholic advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating Bishop Brossart 4-3.
- Joanna Bryant scored a first-half hat trick, providing three goals for the Knights.
- Lexington Catholic hosts Russell Saturday; a semifinal could pair them with Sacred Heart.
Lexington Catholic survived its first big test Tuesday at home in the first round of the KHSAA Girls State Soccer Tournament.
The Knights (20-4-1), ranked No. 2 in the statewide Rundell Rankings, got a first half hat trick from recently named 11th Region player of the year Joanna Bryant and held on for a 4-3 victory over No. 8 Bishop Brossart.
The win advances Lexington Catholic to the quarterfinals Saturday, when it will host Russell, which defeated North Laurel 8-0 in its Tuesday first-round game. Saturday’s game time was not set as of Wednesday morning.
The Mustangs (20-3-3) tested the Knights from the start and scored the opening goal 11 minutes into the game off the foot of Tess Hafer.
“That was a challenge. They fought hard,” Lexington Catholic senior goalkeeper Bella Bretz said. “We’ve been down 1-0 before, so we’re used to being put in that position and having pressure put on us. We just have to keep playing our game and fighting how we fight no matter how hard the other team fights.”
Lexington Catholic responded by stepping up its attack.
Harper Ward drew a foul just inside the 18-yard box to give Bryant a penalty kick opportunity she converted to tie the game at 1-1 with 24:15 till halftime.
Seven minutes later, Bryant and Ward connected on a give-and-go play. Bryant allowed Ward’s pass through the Brossart defense to take a bounce before firing a shot off her right foot for a 2-1 lead. Bryant made it 3-1 with 4:16 left in the first half when a deflected pass at the top of the box allowed her to step into it for another one-touch blast.
Bryant has shown a knack this season for turning any opportunity in any amount of space into a score, a talent her teammates appreciated greatly.
“I love it. It’s my favorite thing,” Bretz said. “I know if I do my job, she’s going to do hers, and we’re going to do great against great teams.
Brossart came out with more determination in the second half and cut its deficit to 3-2 when Rylee Fuller pounced on a ball that Bretz saved into her path with 27:23 left.
But Lexington Catholic continued to generate chances and got some breathing room when freshman Eleanor Clay lofted a shot over the Brossart keeper from about 20 yards out for a 4-2 lead with 11:16 to play.
Brossart narrowed the margin to 4-3 on Fuller’s second goal with 2:44 left.
Lexington Catholic’s next opponent, Russell, is the lowest-rated team among the eight remaining at No. 28 in the Rundell Rankings. The Knights and Red Devils have faced each other only twice in the past 25 years, according to KHSAA records, both go-away wins for LexCath.
Russell (14-3-3) has faced one team inside the Rundell top 25 this season. They lost 3-0 at No. 25 Woodford County on opening day.
The Knights’ path to next Saturday’s state championship game gets tougher from there with either No. 1 Sacred Heart or No. 13 McCracken County ahead as a potential state semifinals opponent. The Valkyries defeated Lexington Catholic 3-1 in last year’s state championship.
“We have to play like LexCath. Everyone’s going to come and play their best against us,” Bretz said. “We just have to play like we know we can play. And we have to stay healthy. … If we can stay healthy where we are now, I have full confidence in us against anyone.”
KHSAA Girls State Soccer Tournament
TUESDAY’S FIRST ROUND
- Central Hardin 2, South Oldham 1
- Highlands 2, Boyle County 1
- Lexington Catholic 4, Bishop Brossart 3
- Russell 8, North Laurel 0
- Sacred Heart 6, Bullitt East 1
- McCracken County 2, Greenwood 1
- Daviess County 2, University Heights 0
SATURDAY’S QUARTERFINALS
- Sacred Heart at McCracken County, 6 p.m.
- Russell at Lexington Catholic, 1 p.m.
- Central Hardin at Daviess County, 6 p.m.
- Highlands at Johnson Central, 2 p.m.
WEDNESDAY’S SEMIFINALS
At Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
- Sacred Heart-McCracken County winner vs. Lexington Catholic-Russell winner, TBD.
- Daviess County-Central Hardin winner vs. Johnson Central-Highlands winner, TBD.
SATURDAY’S FINAL
At Lexington Sporting Club Stadium
- Championship game, 7 p.m.
Rating the field
How the quarterfinalists in the KHSAA Girls State Soccer Tournament rate, according to the Rundell Rankings:
- No. 1 Sacred Heart (21-2-1)
- No. 2 Lexington Catholic (20-4-1)
- No. 4 Central Hardin (16-7-0)
- No. 6 Highlands (13-9-2)
- No. 13 McCracken County (12-7-2)
- No. 14 Daviess County (17-6-2)
- No. 24 Johnson Central (21-2-0)
- No. 28 Russell (14-3-3)
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 9:35 AM.
