The 2023 soccer season gets underway this week, and we asked local coaches what to expect from their teams this season. Here’s the preview for the Daviess County girls’ team.
The Lady Panthers begin their season at home opener against Owensboro at 7 p.m. on August 8.
Daviess County finished last season with a record of 12-9-0 (5-3-0 9th District). The Lady Panthers are eager to set themselves up for a deep postseason run, hoping to claim the region title for the first time since 2019.
Here’s what longtime head coach David Sandifer had to say about the upcoming season:
What are your expectations/goals for this year?
Our goal every season is to put ourselves in the best possible position to be successful in the postseason.
What will be the biggest challenges on the schedule?
We will play two or three highly ranked Tennessee teams in the Smoky Mountain Cup, but obviously, our district is very competitive. Ohio County in our region should be a very interesting match.
Who are your top returning players?
Junior Kate McCain is our returning lead scorer. Junior Lillian Coombs and sophomores Bailey Brown and Mary Evelyn Wiman should provide us with some scoring. Defensively, seniors Mia Griffith and Jessie Harwood, junior Mary Wesley Wiman, and sophomore Molly Fuqua will be returning. Our two goalkeepers, senior Emily Baughn and sophomore Kaelin Labhart, return as well.
Who do you expect/need to step up?
We need all the girls to step up. We will only be successful if we can play together. This is a tight-knit group, so we feel that should be the case.
What areas are you hoping to improve on this year?
We need to improve our scoring, and we need to focus better at the beginning and end of matches.
