“It is your turn. You deserve this.”
Simon Kenton girls soccer coach Hillary Johnson said that at halftime of Wednesday’s game against Notre Dame. The Pioneers, ranked sixth in the initial Kentucky Girls High School Soccer Coaches Association Top 25, listened – they ended 23 seasons of setbacks and handed the Pandas a 2-0 shutout at Chlorine Menefee Stadium.
“I feel like it’s truly amazing because it’s my second year of playing for SK, but it’s my first year of playing for varsity,” freshman Aniah Zembrodt said. “I feel like it just made our whole team click even more.”
Wednesday’s win was more than Simon Kenton’s first win over Notre Dame in 27 games. It was Pioneers coach – a member of Notre Dame’s 2004 state championship team – Hillary Johnson’s 100th career win in eight plus years at Newport Central Catholic and Simon Kenton. (Her overall record 100-68-14.)
“It was definitely an interesting dynamic there, for sure,” Johnson said. “It has been, but it’s fun. It’s a great rivalry, and you know, (Notre Dame’s) got a great team, great coaches, so it’s just a fun environment.”
Zembrodt and senior Meg Gadzala each had a goal and an assist. Gadzala likes helping others.
“I think assisting, like, it’s kind of the dirty work behind it,” Gadzala said. “You do all the work, and then you get it across for your teammates. I think it’s important to prioritize getting your teammates in.”
Another freshman, goalkeeper Makenna Doherty, stopped 12 Notre Dame shots to earn her fourth shutout. But Simon Kenton’s four defenders – sisters Marren and Parker Goetz, Macie Bach and Aliyah Howard – were equally responsible.
Johnson thinks Simon Kenton’s defense has gone unnoticed – the Pioneers have allowed just six goals to go with 38 scored.
“Because our offense is so potent, our defense has flown under the radar,” Johnson said. “They are a strong group – starters, subs, everyone who comes in, they’re strong. We can rotate a lot in and out of the back line. I think our defense hasn’t gotten the praise they deserve because they just shut fantastic players down.”
Simon Kenton (9-0-1) overloaded the right side of Notre Dame’s defense in the opening minutes. Gadzala was unmarked when she converted Zembrodt’s pass in the fourth minute and beat Pandas keeper Joelle Hentz.
“We got them shifting to one side, kind of forgetting about the back side,” Johnson said. “And they forgot about Meg, and she capitalized.”
MORE PHOTOS: (Slideshow provided by Charles Bolton)
Notre Dame (4-3-2) had three scoring chances in the last seven minutes of the first half – Taylor Murphy’s shot across the face of the goal in the 33rd and Sadie Yapp’s two.
“We’ve continued to work on getting balls in front of the net,” Notre Dame coach Cory Dan said. “Now it’s just trying to continue on that and now getting it in the back of the net.”
Simon Kenton assistant Scott Augsback thought Yapp was a concern.
“Sadie had a good five to 10 yards of space with nobody around her,” Augsback said during the halftime huddle.
Johnson said Zembrodt’s goal was the product of getting forward when the Pioneers attacked.
“She’s got that knack for the goal, and so she stayed high and was able to punch it in,” Johnson said.
Simon Kenton’s schedule doesn’t get easier – a home game Saturday against Woodford County and Paul Laurence Dunbar Tuesday in the Lexington Catholic Tournament.
But first came a sugary celebration.
“Shutout donuts,” Gadzala said. “Every time we get a shutout, our coaches get donuts.”