LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — SOMERSET—After a lightning delay with 4:53 left on the clock, the South Laurel girls’ soccer team came away with a dominating 5-1 win over Southwestern High School on Tuesday night at the Plains.

After the Lady Warriors scored the first goal at the 11-minute mark, the Lady Cardinals reeled off five unanswered goals through the next 50 minutes to pick up their first win of the season.

Southwestern junior Katherine Citak scored the first goal of the game on a header in the penalty box which was set up by a corner kick from Hanna Ratliff.

While the Lady Warriors controlled the action in the early goings, South Laurel got the equalizer goal in the 34th minute after senior defender Sarah DeCarlo scored on a 40-foot bomb off a cross deflection. The score remained tied 1-1 at intermission.

South Laurel struck early in the second half when Kristen White scored off a rebound from a deflected shot attempt by Meredith McCowan at the 51-minute mark.

Four minutes later, Holly Smith laid out a perfect lead pass to Haley House, who scored from close range.

Less than a minute later, Karli Parker crossed to Kristen White, who sent the ball past Southwestern keeper Kaylee Shepherd to put the Lady Cards up 4-1.

In the 69th minute, South Laurel sophomore Tiffani Moore scored from close range to put her team up 5-1.

At the 4:53 mark, Karli Parker was fouled in the penalty box and was set to take a penalty kick, when the game was delayed and eventually canceled. South Laurel outshot Southwestern 13-4 for the entire game.

“I was very pleased with our second half performance,” South Laurel coach Todd White said.

South Laurel played host to Danville Thursday night.

iHigh Soccer Frenzy

LEXINGTON—South Laurel finished up play in the iHigh Soccer Frenzy on Saturday, falling to Boyle County, 1-0, and Henry Clay 7-1.

The loss to the Lady Rebels came via a penalty kick shootout.

“We were just unlucky in the PK shootout,” White said. “Our first two shooters, Mariah House and Meredith McCowan, both hit their shot over the goal which hurt our chances of winning. But in regulation we won 70 percent of the 50/50 balls, controlled possession, 60 percent to 40 percent, and outshot them, 6 to 3.”

Against Henry Clay, White said his girls looked like they were asleep in the first half as the Lady Blue Devils scored all seven goals in the first 40 minutes.

“I talked to my team at half about how embarrassing it would feel to get Mercy ruled and how our defense needed to step up and win some balls and start our possession from the back.”

That talk seemed to work, as South controlled possession and won the second half, 1-0, on a goal by Karli Parker off a deflected shot taken by House.

“We may have lost all three games but we learned to play fast and were introduced to high pressure,” White said.



Sentinel-Echo sports editor Denis House contributed to this story.