The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team (15-7-3 overall) knew this would be a tough challenge against a familiar post-season opponent.
The host Lexington Catholic Knights (25-1) entered the first-round state tournament game on a 24-game winning streak only allowing eight goals since opening the season with a 3-0 loss at Louisville power Sacred Heart. The bigger and physical Knights scored the game’s first goal nearly eight minutes into the game and never looked back in a 5-0 win.
But even though LexCath built a 3-0 halftime lead, Highlands made the the Knights earn everything. The Bluebirds finished with 10 shots including three on goal and LexCath had 10 on goal. Freshman goalkeeper Natalie Hinegardner had five saves for Highlands.
Lex Cath senior forward Mary Martin Hampton scored the game’s first goal with 32:05 left in the first half then assisted junior forward Zara McCarthy‘s goal with 10:51 left in the first half to put LexCath up 2-0. Hamption led LexCath in scoring entering the 11th Region semifinals.
The Knights earned another goal with 55 seconds left in the first half. Sophomore forward/midfielder Izzy Skinner put one in off a corner kick to give LexCath the halftime lead.
Senior defender/forward Katherine Truitt, the three-time 11th Region Player of the Year, scored with 30 minutes left in the second half to put LexCath up 4-0. The final Knights goal came with 11 minutes left in the game when Skinner scored her second goal off another corner kick.
The loss does not take away how far the team came this year winning its fourth 9th Region crown in five years in addition to a seventh straight 36th District Tournament championship. The Bluebirds only graduate three seniors in defender Isabella Moreno, Bianca Hemsath and midfielder Anna Melson, who hit the game-winning kick from the mark against Notre Dame in the region title game Saturday.
The Bluebirds return their three leading point-scorers in junior forward Laney Smith and junior midfielders Kate Jamie and Claire Cavacini. Smith finished the year with 31 goals and nine assists for 71 points. Junior midfielder Lindsay Stein tied Smith for the most assists.
Volleyball Scores
32nd District Semifinal at Williamstown
Simon Kenton 3 (25-7, 25-12, 25-15), Walton-Verona 0
33rd District First Round at Conner
Boone County 3 (25-3, 25-10, 25-15), Heritage Academy 0
34th District First Round at Villa Madonna
Ludlow 3 (25-21, 25-20, 25-17), Lloyd Memorial 0
36th District First Round at Newport
Newport 3 (16-25, 25-19, 25-10, 25-17), Bellevue 1