|
Lincoln County¿s Misty Simpson (00)¿kicks the ball away from West Jessamine¿s Rachel Craycraft during the first half Saturday. (Hal Morris / October 21, 2012) |
The Lincoln County girls soccer team accomplished a lot this season, setting a school record for wins, winning their first regional tournament game and advancing to the regional finals for the first time.
But on Saturday, the Patriots ran into a West Jessamine team that is used to postseason success. Lincoln trailed by three goals at halftime and fell to the No. 18 Colts 7-1 in the 12th Region Tournament title game at Rebel Stadium.
“We just knew we had a really hard game tonight,” junior Maddie Adams said. “It’s just an honor to make it this far, but we knew tonight this would be the best team we’ve ever played. and it was a rough game.”
The Colts (14-4-7) outshot Lincoln 25-5, and the Patriots (15-5-2) were getting blanked until Rachel Spangler put in her 38th goal of the season with 21 seconds to go.
But the loss doesn’t take away from what was the best season any Lincoln soccer team, boys or girls, has ever had.
“We all believed at the beginning of the season we could do this,” Lincoln coach Andrew Kaiser had. “We talked about it and all believed we could. We knew we had to work together and work hard. I feel like we have something to build on now for next year. I’m just so proud of the girls, they just worked so hard all year.
“They really pushed us, but my hat’s off to them. That’s a really good soccer team.”
The Colts dominated possession from the start and kept firing away at Lincoln goalkeeper Jerrica Kidd. They struck first when Sarah Wiggins took a long pass and sent a shot to Toria Howard, who put it past Kidd for a 1-0 lead with 30:49 to go in the first half.
But Kidd kept Lincoln in the game with three big saves after that first goal.
With 29:04 to go in the half, Kidd deflected a shot high, then dove near the goal line for another stop. She stopped another shot 6 minutes later, then after a West Jessamine shot from Howard went just wide right, Kidd came up with another save with 19:25 to go.
“She’s been wonderful all year,” Kaiser said. “She’s a great goalkeeper, a great leader on the field, and she did a great job. Later in the evening, they kind of controlled the field and that’s when (they got the late goals). They put a lot of pressure on you, they’re quick.”
The Colts struck again with 14:03 to go in the half, when Savannah Lane put a shot into the left side of the goal to give them a 2-0 lead.
Kidd had another save with 2:21 left in the half, but Lincoln was called for a foul in the penalty box with 1:57 left and Howard converted the penalty kick to make it 3-0, which was the score at halftime.
Lincoln was called for a hand ball in the penalty box with 30:14 to go, and Wiggins put the penalty shot into the upper right corner. With 27:06 to play, Jessica Watson got a ball that got through the Lincoln defense and beat Kidd one-on-one for the goal and a 5-0 lead.
Kidd had another save with 21:50 to play, but Howard scored her third goal of the game 28 seconds later. Natalie Traynor capped the Colts’ scoring with 7:11 to go.
Lincoln had its best chance to score up to that point with 4:45 to go. Megan Yocum, who had just come into the game, was fouled in the penalty box and had to leave with a knee injury. Macy Kaiser stepped into take the penalty kick, but Brooke Perkins stopped the shot.
Lincoln loses just two seniors off this year’s squad, Taylor Faulkner and Yocum, and Adams said the Patriots’ postseason run will be a huge confidence-booster heading into next season.
“We’re looking forward to next year, we’re going to make it this far again next year,” said Adams, who finished the season with 14 goals and 14 assists. “And hopefully win it.”
All-Tournament Team
Boyle County — Logan Arnold, Chelsea Gill.
East Jessamine — Devon Burnside, Makenzie Danaher.
Lincoln County — Maddie Adams, Jerrica Kidd, Kristin Meece.
Pulaski County — Kennedy McAlpin.
Southwestern — Nicole Upchurch.
Wayne County — Hallie Gillespie.
West Jessamine — Maddye Hahn, Toria Howard, Rebekah Hulsing, Sarah Wiggins.
But on Saturday, the Patriots ran into a West Jessamine team that is used to postseason success. Lincoln trailed by three goals at halftime and fell to the No. 18 Colts 7-1 in the 12th Region Tournament title game at Rebel Stadium.
“We just knew we had a really hard game tonight,” junior Maddie Adams said. “It’s just an honor to make it this far, but we knew tonight this would be the best team we’ve ever played. and it was a rough game.”
The Colts (14-4-7) outshot Lincoln 25-5, and the Patriots (15-5-2) were getting blanked until Rachel Spangler put in her 38th goal of the season with 21 seconds to go.
But the loss doesn’t take away from what was the best season any Lincoln soccer team, boys or girls, has ever had.
“We all believed at the beginning of the season we could do this,” Lincoln coach Andrew Kaiser had. “We talked about it and all believed we could. We knew we had to work together and work hard. I feel like we have something to build on now for next year. I’m just so proud of the girls, they just worked so hard all year.
“They really pushed us, but my hat’s off to them. That’s a really good soccer team.”
The Colts dominated possession from the start and kept firing away at Lincoln goalkeeper Jerrica Kidd. They struck first when Sarah Wiggins took a long pass and sent a shot to Toria Howard, who put it past Kidd for a 1-0 lead with 30:49 to go in the first half.
But Kidd kept Lincoln in the game with three big saves after that first goal.
With 29:04 to go in the half, Kidd deflected a shot high, then dove near the goal line for another stop. She stopped another shot 6 minutes later, then after a West Jessamine shot from Howard went just wide right, Kidd came up with another save with 19:25 to go.
“She’s been wonderful all year,” Kaiser said. “She’s a great goalkeeper, a great leader on the field, and she did a great job. Later in the evening, they kind of controlled the field and that’s when (they got the late goals). They put a lot of pressure on you, they’re quick.”
The Colts struck again with 14:03 to go in the half, when Savannah Lane put a shot into the left side of the goal to give them a 2-0 lead.
Kidd had another save with 2:21 left in the half, but Lincoln was called for a foul in the penalty box with 1:57 left and Howard converted the penalty kick to make it 3-0, which was the score at halftime.
Lincoln was called for a hand ball in the penalty box with 30:14 to go, and Wiggins put the penalty shot into the upper right corner. With 27:06 to play, Jessica Watson got a ball that got through the Lincoln defense and beat Kidd one-on-one for the goal and a 5-0 lead.
Kidd had another save with 21:50 to play, but Howard scored her third goal of the game 28 seconds later. Natalie Traynor capped the Colts’ scoring with 7:11 to go.
Lincoln had its best chance to score up to that point with 4:45 to go. Megan Yocum, who had just come into the game, was fouled in the penalty box and had to leave with a knee injury. Macy Kaiser stepped into take the penalty kick, but Brooke Perkins stopped the shot.
Lincoln loses just two seniors off this year’s squad, Taylor Faulkner and Yocum, and Adams said the Patriots’ postseason run will be a huge confidence-booster heading into next season.
“We’re looking forward to next year, we’re going to make it this far again next year,” said Adams, who finished the season with 14 goals and 14 assists. “And hopefully win it.”
All-Tournament Team
Boyle County — Logan Arnold, Chelsea Gill.
East Jessamine — Devon Burnside, Makenzie Danaher.
Lincoln County — Maddie Adams, Jerrica Kidd, Kristin Meece.
Pulaski County — Kennedy McAlpin.
Southwestern — Nicole Upchurch.
Wayne County — Hallie Gillespie.
West Jessamine — Maddye Hahn, Toria Howard, Rebekah Hulsing, Sarah Wiggins.
