11 minute read
Area soccer teams on the rise
Three weeks into the 2019 soccer season, a handful of teams are coming into their own. From restocking to rebuilding, several area programs are on the rise thanks to a mix of new coaches, new players or hard earned experience.
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A few teams on the list — notably the Lady Marshals and the Lady Lyons — have winning records. Other teams on the rise are still working in that direction. Of course, win-loss records don’t mean much during this part of the season. It’s still too early for postseason prognostication: there’s a lot of soccer between now and October, no matter much things starting to click.
For some teams it’s still the start of building foundations. Armando Guell is in his second season leading Paducah Tilghman’s Lady Tornado. Through the early weeks, it appears things are heading in the right direction. Down the road at St. Mary, Blaine Skeen is in his first year with the Vikings. The Vikings’ win-loss record isn’t showing it yet, but things there, likewise, are on an upswing. Despite the losses, the Vikings have been within striking distance during every game.
For others, the philosophy is already in place. So are the championships.
Marshall County entered the season as defending district and regional champions. Several key members from last year’s squad are back. It’s a similar situation down the road in Eddyville, where the team is young but experienced. Keeping things consistent, the Lady Lyons have a new head coach in familiar face Abby Smith, who served previously as the team’s assistant. For their male counterparts, it’s all new this season, with a new coach, new direction and several new pieces in place. But the Lyons are growing with every game and have a chance to put things together come September.
Their destiny is in their own hands, but part of their success may hinge on the fortunes of preseason favorites. One of those early picks is on the list of teams on their way up.
Paducah Tilghman Lady Tornado
Abigail Wurth
Molly Watkins
Now in their second season under head coach Armando Guell, the Lady Tornado have shown significant improvement from a team that went 4-27 in the prior two years.
Early in the season, Guell said the staff — comprised of himself and wife Jessica — have been working not just to instill knowledge, but also confidence in athletes that the program can produce soccer players. That’s shown with a number of younger roster members, including new members like Diamond Gray. As an eighth grader, Gray was the second leading scorer for the girls basketball team and a member of the Tilghman relay team taking third at state in May.
“I love that fire the team is getting,” Guell said following their second game of the season. “We want people to know we can play soccer.”
With a balanced scoring attack, controlling midfield and consistent defense, that’s becoming apparent to any doubters.
“We’re still growing,” Guell said at the start of the season. “We’re still trying to play our best game. It’s out there. We get better every single day. This year’s going to be a good one for us.”
The team’s synergy has come from a consistent class of younger players, notably their sophomores. Through the opening games, sophomores Frannie Hideg and Shelby Nickal, along with junior Dylan Nevals, have led the scoring. Freshman standouts Abigail Wurth and Kiersa Atnip have also been big contributors. Wurth earned two goals and two assists in the first three games, while Atnip had four scores and one assist. Nickal led the team through that stretch with six assists and three goals.
Guell said he expects the growth on the field between Wurth and Nickal to keep growing.
“They’re young, but there’s a lot of talent,” Guell said. “They’re not captains this year, but they play like they are. They do that every single day at practice.
Shelby Nickal
St. Mary Vikings
Jack Roof
St. Mary’s best season over the last decade came in 2011 when it finished 11-11-1. Since then, it’s mostly been a rough road for the Vikings.
The 2019 season could be the start of that changing.
Under new head coach Blaine Skeen, the Vikings opened the season 1-2. Their lone win was a 1-0 victory over Graves County on a goal by Jack Roof. While the record isn’t eye catching, St. Mary’s defense has been. The Vikings allowed just one goal in the first two games behind keeper Jack Bell, who has averaged 11 saves per game so far.
Bell gave up two goals to Marshall County in the season opener on the road, but held Graves County scoreless. McCracken County fared better, besting the Vikings 6-1.
For context, the Vikings started 2018 against Marshall, Graves and McCracken, giving up a combined 29 goals to the three perennial First Region favorites. In 2018, the Vikings gave up the second most goals in the First Region (80), ahead of the Bombers (139).
On Aug. 13 in Draffenville, the loss was an improvement over last year’s 11-1 decision in favor of the Marshals. Bell fended off 14 shots on goal in the 2-1 loss. Joey Eggemeyer scored St. Mary’s lone goal midway through the second half, but the Vikings would get no closer.
So far, Eggemeyer and Roof have accounted for the bulk of St. Mary’s offense. Going forward, if Skeen hopes to have success in the First Region he’ll have to develop a more diverse attack. But for St. Mary fans, there’s hope the Vikings won’t return to the bottom of goals allowed in the region.
Jack Bell
Keaton Elliott
Marshall County Lady Marshals
Carmen Gunn
For some, it’s going to be hard to consider the defending Second District and First Region champions — titles the Lady Marshals have held since 2017 — as a team on the rise.
As good as those squads were, the 2019 incarnation doesn’t seem to have found its ceiling just yet.
Marshall County has a good blend up upperclassmen maintaining their past success (Carmen Gunn was the team’s second highest scorer in 2017 and led the team last season with 24 goals) alongside solid contributions from younger players. Eight Lady Marshals earned goals through the first two games to go along with seven different players adding assists, helping Marshall County lead the First Region in goals scored through the opening weeks.
Tori Ford
As talented as the offense has been, the defense may be even better. Through the first four games, three different keepers saw time in the goal, working with their defenders for four consecutive shutouts. Senior Carlin Whirley leads the cadre of keepers. Last season, Whirley allowed a region-low 29 goals while making just over 100 saves.
On offense, the Lady Marshals have seen a balanced scoring attack led by Gunn, Kallen Fuller, Chasse Clark and Kelsey Crass. Freshman Janie Pagel has also been a solid contributor early in the season.
September could test Marshall County with matches against an improved Hopkinsville, Madisonville-North Hopkins, Greenwood, Owensboro Catholic and Graves County. Marshall may have increased opposition in the Second District, too. The Lady Marshals had no problem dispatching Mayfield 10-0 in their first meeting of the season, but hit a bump with Calloway County, falling 1-0 to the Lady Lakers.
Carlin Whirley
Lyon County Lyons
Under new head coach Mike Daily, the Lyons opened the 2019 season 0-4-1. While it probably wasn’t the start Daily and the Lyons hoped for, the losses gave fans a glimmer of hope for the future.
Lyon fell 6-0 to Murray, a historically tough opponent for the Lyons, and 3-0 to Muhlenberg County. They also tied Hopkins Central 1-1.
But defensively, the Lyons look to be heading in the right direction. Last season, Lyon gave up an average of 6.5 goals per games. Through the first three games of this year, Lyon has given up an average of 2.3
The change is a mix of new coaching and new faces. Cole Schroeder has taken over duties in the goal this year. Schroeder is averaging 23 saves per game.
Before the start of the season, Daily said the team was adapting to his coaching style.
“Everything is about the team,” Daily said. “We run as a team. You mess up, you don’t get penalized individually, the team does. If you knock a cone over in a drill, the whole team runs.”
The Lyons picked up their first win Aug. 31 in a 6-5 decision over Butler County. Heading into the contest, the Lyons had only scored one goal in five games.
Lyon County Lady Lyons
Rose Smith
The 2018 season was a turning point for the Lady Lyons.
With a combined 11-26 the previous two years, Lyon finished the season with a winning 12-4 record to go along with a Fifth District title. This season, the Lady Lyons are well on their way to back-to-back seasons above .500 after going 4-2 across their first six games.
During that stretch, Lyon was led in scoring by Rose Smith, who amassed 19 goals. Smith score at least twice in each of the first five games. Smith is averaging 3.2 goals per game. She’s been aided in scoring by Sydney Hoffman, who scored four goals during the season’s start. Kayden Watts, Bailey Guess, Destiny Dycus and Crista Cummins have each scored during Lyon County’s run.
Mary Beth Davis
Defensively, Lyon has been led in the goal by Abby Smith. Smith is averaging 11 saves per game. Defenders Cummins, Kate Gray and Abbi Crawford have helped to keep the box clear, shielding attacks and closing lanes.
With a 5-4 decision over Crittenden County on Aug. 16, the Lady Lyons have got off to an early lead in district competition.
Before the season got underway, head coach Abby Smith said part of her team’s strength is in their attitude.
“They’re positive,” Smith said. “They’re not complaining. They’re coming out here at 8 a.m. My girls are coming in happy and smiling. They love what they’re doing.”
Crista Cummins
Abbi Crawford
Worth Mentioning
Injuries have bitten Marshall County’s Marshals early in the season, including last year’s leading scorer Bryson Penn. A number of players stepped up as the Marshals began to find their identity during the final weeks of August, including William Lynch — who may have the best juke and step overs in the First Region — and Pratik Patel. Patel has a nice shot and fleet feet. Keeper Ben Burkeen has progressed as the team’s defensive leader, finishing out August with three consecutive shutouts, including a 1-0 decision over McCracken County. On the other side of the ball, Collin Riley leads Marshall County’s attack with 11 goals as of Aug. 31.
Kaylee McEnaney
Rhett Miller — the former boys soccer coach — took over the Caldwell County Lady Tigers in 2018. Leadership was sparse with just two seniors as the team went 11-13. This season, the Lady Tigers are 3-3 through August, having fallen 3-0 to Henderson County, 6-0 to Madisonville-North Hopkins and 2-1 to Graves County. Miller’s leadership appears to be paying off. Karsyn Parker is averaging nine saves per game and has recorded two shutouts so far. Kaylee McEnaney leads the team in scoring with five goals, followed by Hannah Young and Lucy Goffinet with four apiece.
Tomas Ferreyra
Murray’s Tigers have a strong overlapping defense and midfielders that use their space well. They’re also a physical team, putting a body on whoever has the ball. Their record is 3-3 through August, but the Tigers haven’t lost a game by more than one goal, thanks in large part to their fullbacks. Dawson Bradley leads the team from the goal, averaging six stops per game. Offensively, the Tigers have relied on Trevor Harrison (5) and Charles Pemwell (4) for the bulk of their scoring. Pemwell also leads the team in assists with three so far.
