To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.
Both Conner and Notre Dame have been aiming to do just that, testing themselves against some of the top programs in the state. On Wednesday evening at the Buenger Sports Complex in Park Hills, the No. 7 Pandas earned a 2-1 victory over the No. 14 Lady Cougars.
With the postseason approaching, both teams carried high expectations, seeking challenges that would prepare them for their ambitious goals.
Conner entered off a 2-2 tie with No. 3 Simon Kenton on Monday, following a matchup with No. 20 Cooper. Notre Dame came in after facing No. 21 Beechwood and has also squared off with state powers like No. 1 Sacred Heart and No. 4 Assumption this season.
“We came off of Simon Kenton Monday night and there was nothing left in the tank,” Lady Cougar head coach Mike Hughes said. “Yesterday was a recovery day and then all of a sudden, guess what, we play the No. 7 team in the state. This is what it’s all about though, they should be proud of the fact that they’re in a position where they can play these games.”
As expected, both sides created chances, but the Pandas found the difference with 20 minutes remaining when senior Sadie Yapp—nicknamed “Sadawg” by her coach—lived up to the name by scoring her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
“I’ve been working with Cory on getting behind because I am a wing player, so that was my gameplan today,” Yapp said. “I knew we were feeding into Sophie (Reedy), so I just ran behind and got the ball.”
While it was an upperclassman who delivered the game-winner, Notre Dame’s two freshman also played key roles. Sophie Reedy opened the scoring 10 minutes in, and Dani Fariello anchored the defense.
“It’s phenomenal to have Sophie step up, and Dani in the back line has been playing very, very stout defense,” Panda coach Cory Dan said. “Sophie has been a big part of the team with a couple goals this season, and with Dani, you can see that our goals-against average is extremely low, especially for the caliber of teams that we’re playing against.”
Conner’s lone goal came from Reagan Buchert in the 14th minute.
The two programs are no strangers to big matchups. Their past two meetings have ended a season in the 9th Region Tournament, with Conner winning last year’s semifinal 1-0, with the possibility of a third straight regional clash this year.
“Season starts over once the postseason starts,” Dan said. “We could play a completely different mentality out of Conner, and we could have our girls with a different mentality during that game if it comes around again. Playing these games in the regular season though, our thinking is on the right track of, we want to win state.”
The Lady Cougars (12-5-1) have three regular-season games remaining, with St. Henry up Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Hebron.
Notre Dame (9-4-2) will look to enter the postseason on a six-game winning streak, having already won five straight. The Pandas will close out their regular season Monday at 8 p.m. against Campbell County in Park Hills.
“We’ve had a tough schedule and now we’re at five straight wins,” Yapp said. “We’ve gone through hard times and now we know how to win. It’s going to prepare us for the postseason even more.”
More photos below, provided by Charles Bolton:
