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 Owensboro Catholic girls’ team.
The Lady Aces begin their season at Apollo at 7 p.m on August 8.
Owensboro Catholic went 18-6-1 (8-0-0 9th District) last season, claiming the 9th District and 3rd Region titles before falling to Elizabethtown in the second round of the state tournament. Fourth-year head coach Andy Hines said the Lady Aces are hungry for even more success this season.
Here’s what Hines had to say about the upcoming season:
What are your expectations/goals for this year?
My expectation for our team is to compete at the highest level possible. We want to get back to state again and a big goal this year is to beat Bethlehem in All “A.” We are wanting to win our fourth district title in a row and try to win the 3rd Region title again. We have won 20+ district games over the last 3 years and we want to keep that going, but most importantly compete every game of the season.
What will be the biggest challenges on the schedule?
We have a pretty hard schedule. We will face some Evansville teams, Marshall County, McCracken County, and it is always hard to beat Daviess County two or three times in a year.
Who are your top returning players?
We have seven seniors returning from last year: Ginny Young, Mallary Bailey, Jahara Ward, Annie Helwig, Elle Brey, Abby Payne, and Elizabeth Hayden. Also returning are juniors Sophie, Elly Danner, and Bella Hayden. I think Ginny Young is easily the top player in the region, and I feel that our team runs well when she is on the ball. Abby Payne has had over 30 shutouts in the region and doesn’t typically get the credit she deserves as one of the best keepers. Annie, Mallary, Jahaira, Elizabeth, and Elle Brey each have lots of talent and have played a huge part in our success in the region in the past 3 years.
Who do you expect/need to step up?
We have four freshmen that are getting lots of minutes this year. They are all young and talented, and I feel like our success is going to depend on how quickly they adapt to the speed of the game. All four come in and fill spots to improve our team, so I think stepping up and competing is the key to our success.
What areas are you hoping to improve on this year?
Each year we improve on things that have made us better than the year before, but I believe that for us to be successful it is going to be the girls buying in and believing in each other, learning to fight for what they want, and setting our standards higher than the year before. We have to stay focused and hungry to be better than we were last season.
