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Maddie Lockridge (9) went one-on-one against Anderson County's keeper, made her lose her footing, then fired in for an easy goal to give West a 3-0 lead 15 minutes in to the match. Lockridge scored two goals in the 4-1 win on Aug. 22. (Photo by Jonathan Stark/jstark@jessaminejournal.com) |
West Jessamine girls’ soccer player Maddie Lockridge hasn’t played a game for West since Nov. 3 of last year, but her talents that were on display from Aug. 15 to Nov. 3 were unrivaled by West athletes throughout the school year.
Lockridge, a senior last fall, led the Lady Colts in scoring with 24 goals and added on six assists (fourth best on the team).
She scored in 11 of 28 games with 10 of those games resulting in wins. On nine occasions, Lockridge scored two or more goals.
One of Lockridge’s brightest moments came in the semifinals of the region tournament, when she scored three goals in first 25 minutes to lead West to a 3-1 win over Madison Central.
In the eighth minute, Lockridge had the ball out on the left side and took a soft shot at the goal that never left the ground.
“I just saw the goalie was kind of shifting to the far post, which is where normally you would hit it from that spot, but she left the near post open, so I just put it low on the ground to that corner,” Lockridge said.
About six minutes later, Lockridge found the net on a penalty kick to put West ahead 2-0.
The 2-0 lead wasn’t all that safe as Central got on the board, heading in a corner kick in the 19th minute.
Not to be outdone, Lockridge headed in a goal off a cross from Jenna Bird in the 25th minute.
“Jenna is really good at sending the ball high, and the keeper tipped it, but I was there to get the header to finish it off,” Lockridge said.
During a three-game stretch in the regular season, Lockridge scored seven goals, helping West to wins over University Heights and Madison Central. She scored twice against Murray, but the Lady Colts fell 3-2.
“We like playing tough competition,” Lockridge said Sept. 22. “It makes you better. I love that we have a hard schedule ... I’m glad we’re getting these tough games in, because it’s just getting us prepared (for the postseason).”
Lockridge’s final goal as a Lady Colt came in the opening round of the state tournament in an 8-1 win over Letcher County Central. She also had an assist in the romp.
At the conclusion of the season, she was named second-team all-state and ended her career at West with 50 goals and 29 assists.
On Feb. 7, Lockridge signed with the University of Kentucky, joining former West teammate Arin Gilliland.
“I think (Kentucky) has a top-notch coaching staff, and it just seemed like a really good fit for me,” Lockridge said at her signing. “I like that it’s close by and my parents can come watch me play.”
Lockridge was ranked third in her class, was an AP scholar with honors, a DAR scholarship recipient, a member of the National Honor Society, Beta Club where she served as the secretary, a member of Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U.), and was a teacher’s aid.
She was also a member of the Lexington Futbol Club for nine years and is a competitive dancer at Diana Evans School of Dance, winning numerous regional and national awards.
“(Lockridge) always had high character, been very coachable, very competitive; she holds high standards in the classroom and on the field,” West coach Kevin Wright said at her signing. “UK’s very lucky to have her as a part of its team, and she’s going to do great things there. (She’s) always been a leader for our team and our young people.”
