For the second time in three years, the Lady Panthers are 3rd Region champions.
Daviess County blanked Ohio County 6-0 on Thursday night at Panther Field, earning a spot in the girls’ soccer state tournament that begins next week. With a goal each from six players, the Lady Panthers comfortably dismantled a talented up-and-coming Lady Eagles team.
“We didn’t want to end the season on our field tonight,” said senior Ashlyn Payton. “It feels pretty good to be champions again, just like it did two years ago. Our heart is definitely in it right now. Us seniors have been preparing for this our whole life.”
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For a full photo gallery from the game, click here.
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Payton is one of four seniors who scored, as Kenlee Newcom, Meredith Campbell and Sophie Jagoe also found the net.
The Lady Panthers got on the board just over six minutes into the first half when Campbell’s well-timed pass found Newcom streaking across the 18-yard box. Newcom took one touch, aimed and fired a left-footed shot past the Ohio County goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Eagles weren’t able to finish off any of their runs, but they hung tough and had a handful of quality chances. After battling for much of the first period, DC was able to add to their advantage late with a strong attack.
The Lady Panthers finally scored again with 8:07 left in the first half when Shelby Sandifer was able to connect from just in front of the net after a corner kick. Payton rounded out the first-half scoring when her perfectly placed shot edged just past the diving reach of the goalkeeper with 5:59 on the clock.
The second half was more of the same for DC. Hinchcliffe’s goal came less than 10 minutes in, while Jagoe and Avery McNeiley each scored in the final 10 minutes.
Senior defender Hannah Hurt was quick to credit the hard work her team has put in throughout the season.
“Over the summer we worked really hard to make sure we were ready for the year,” Hurt said. “Each game we played this year helped lead us to the next one, preparing us for a run in the state tournament. Our focus is to play a competitive 80 minutes every game, not letting down from start to finish. Tonight we were able to do that, and it feels good to have all our hard work pay off.”
Daviess County will now set sights on a run in the state tournament. They will play Henderson County on Tuesday night in the first round of semi-state, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals.
Head coach David Sandifer knows the competition will stiffen as they move on to the round of 16.
“The goal is to advance to the state finals,” Sandifer said. “We are a very good offensive team and tonight the defense really stepped up. As we move deeper into the state tournament, the teams get better and better, so we will have to continue to step up defensively. As long as we are able to play well on defense and combine that with quality passing, we should be alright.”
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2019 soccer coverage is presented by Worth Insurance Group.
