Highlands girls soccer earns first win on new surface

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It marked the post-game run they’d been wanting for nearly two years.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls soccer team won for the first time since the new turf graced Tower Park in 2012 in a decisive 5-1 win over the Dixie Heights Lady Colonels on Monday. Highlands entered the game 0-8-5 in its first 13 games on the new artificial surface and had not won at Tower Park since beating Bishop Brossart, 3-2 for the 19th District championship on Oct. 13, 2011.

“I thought we played really well,” said Tommy Kearns, Highlands Head Coach. “I think Dixie is a really good team. They have some really talented players and I think we did a really good job containing them.”

Ladybirds, Lady Breds meet for annual tilt

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The two Northern Kentucky women’s soccer powers meet again for bragging rights Wednesday at Tower Park.

But it’s not like it was even a year ago in the old 19th District. The Highlands Ladybirds and Newport Central Catholic Lady Breds often met many times for postseason survival and seeding purposes in those days. The two battled Campbell County and Bishop Brossart to advance to the 10th Region tournament.

They both advance to the 9th Region Tournament this year. Bellevue and Dayton have teams but won’t participate in the 36th District Tournament.

Last year saw two tight battles. NewCath won the regular season game 3-2. But Highlands came back and beat the Lady Breds, 1-0 in the district semifinals. The Ladybirds won the district championship before falling 4-1 to eventual state champion Notre Dame in the 10th Region title game.

So far this season, NewCath has tasted victory way more than Highlands. The Lady Breds are 10-4-1 after losing 3-2 to Covington Holy Cross on Monday. Sam Bunzel and Christina Seibert scored goals for NewCath with Erin Ackerson making two saves. The Lady Breds have outscored opponents 51-16.

“I like their work ethic and commitment to keep getting better as the season goes,” said Kevin Turnick, NewCath head coach. “They are willing and eager to always learn more about the game and even play new positions if it benefits the overall team. We have stressed to always be accountable for your play on the field and learn from our opportunities. We have been very competitive in all of our games so far this season and our record and goals for and against prove that. Our scoring has been diverse and our defense has played solid so far.”

Meanwhile, Highlands has struggled to a 2-9-2 record against a tough schedule. The Ladybirds have been outscored 38-9 and have been shut out seven times.

“I think they’re a great group of girls. They’d obviously love to be winning more games,” said Tommy Kearns, Highands head coach. “But sometimes, the results don’t go your way. They come to practice every day and work hard. They’re trying to get bigger, faster and stronger every day. They know they’re playing better. We’re playing some of the best teams in the state to challenge ourselves for October.”

Freshmen Brooklynn Rivers has emerged as Highlands’ leading goal-scorer. She has six goals and junior Kelsey Etherton has scored two. Jesse Daley and Sarah Owen split time at goalkeeper for the Ladybirds. The Ladybirds have lost Kara Painter and Ava Abner for the year with injuries.

“Basically, we take one game at a time,” Owen said. “We look at what we’ve done well at that game and we learn from all our mistakes. We take the next play and the next game as the important one. Our fans should not let down on us because we’re not letting down.”

NewCath graduated a number of seniors from last year’s team that finished 16-6-1. That includes Olivia Huber and Aubrey Muench, the second and third-leading point-scorers in team history. But Seibert said the team chemistry has been great this year. The Lady Breds won the Poage Landings Tournament in Ashland and Russell earlier this season.

“I think any issue on the team is considered our issue,” Seibert said. “We take that to heart when someone else is hurting. We all help them do better on the field.”

The Lady Breds may be favored to win. But NewCath Sweeper Courtney Hagedorn said Highlands is still dangerous. Both teams run a 4-4-2 (defender-midfielder-forward) attack.

“They have a lot of speed up top,” Hagedorn said. “We’re going to do our best to mark up on them and contain them.”

The old saying in rivalry games goes, “Play with emotion, but don’t get emotional.” That could prove to be the case this year.

“One of the things we say here is ‘Be quick but don’t hurry,” Kearns said. “You need to play within yourselves and don’t try to do too much.”

Turnick has a simple way to handle emotion. He’s been the head coach of the Lady Breds since 1999.

“For 80 minutes, your focus should be on soccer and the role you play on the team,” Turnick said. “Keep your emotions in check and then at end of the game, you can celebrate.”

Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Ladybirds soccer loses heartbreaker

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
It looked good for a while.
But things changed for the Highlands Ladybirds soccer team in a matter of 20 seconds. Highlands led 1-0 until Stephanie Rowland scored two goals in 14 seconds to lead the visiting South Oldham Lady Dragons to a 2-1 win Saturday at Tower Park.
Highlands fell to 2-5-2 overall and South Oldham improved to 4-4. Highlands is 1-1-2 in games decided by one goal or less.
"I thought we played pretty well," said Tommy Kearns, Highlands head coach. "We made two costly mistakes. You end up losing 2-1 when you probably should be winners. It's frustrating. The good thing we can take from (Saturday) is we played a good team and had more of the play (on offense)."
Highlands had plenty of chances to score. The Ladybirds had eight shots and eight corner kicks to six shots and no corner kicks for the Lady Dragons. They had a number of chances in front of the opposing net on those corner kicks, but could not punch the ball in past South Oldham goalkeeper Maddie Malueg. Malueg made seven saves on the day.
"You have to be willing to put your body on the line sometimes to get that ball past the goal line," Kearns said. "We had two or three chances cleared off the goal line in the first half. (Malueg) was all the way in the goal and managed to keep it out. The reason we got corner kicks is we applied pressure to their defense."
At the other end, Sarah Owen and Jesse Daley again split halves in net. Owen made one save in the first half and Daley had three in the second half.
Highlands broke through with its first goal in three games just 3:48 into the second half. Taylor Vaughn took a shot before Brooklynn Rivers hit in the rebound.
Rivers has six on the year. That happens to be all but one of Highlands' goals this season.
That lead held up until 10:18 remained in the game. Rowland scored in front of the net. Highlands had two chances to clear the ball on the play.
Rowlands scored just 14 seconds later when she received a pass and drove past a Highlands defender. She placed the shot perfectly for the game-winning goal.
Highlands is missing two key seniors to injury now in Ava Abner and Kara Painter. Painter tore her left Anterior Cruciated Ligament and is out for the season. But Painter does not want her teammates to dwell on the injuries.
"Each player on our team is strong," Painter said. "Our team can win no matter who is out. We just need to get our heads up and move on to the next play. That's our motto."
The Ladybirds take on Louisville Assumption at 6 p.m. in the Lexington Catholic Cup on Tuesday.

Highlands struggles in 5-0 defeat to Bishop Brossart

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
MELBOURNE - The Highlands Ladybirds soccer team may be dealing with some injuries now.
But head coach Tommy Kearns does not want that to be an excuse. The Ladybirds (2-4-1 overall) faced the Bishop Brossart Lady Mustangs at Pendery Park here Tuesday and fell 5-0 mostly because they did not clear balls in their box allowing Brossart (5-3) many more shot opportunities.
"We did not do a good job defending," Kearns said. "It's a physical battle to win the ball. We have to come out on top in that situation."
Highlands has been playing without the services of senior midfielder/forward Ava Abner. Abner is having surgery today on her right Meniscus. She hurt it against St. Henry and it became worse as she took more hits. Abner said the surgery could leave her out for four weeks or four months meaning she could miss part of basketball season. If it is just four weeks, she could be back in time for the soccer postseason.
Abner missed part of her junior year in basketball last year. She tore her right Anterior Cruciated Ligament, Medial Collateral Ligament and Meniscus in December when Sydney Moss undercut her when the two were going for a loose ball.
"We have some sports where some people are going to have to step up and fill shoes," Kearns said. "There are some adjustments we still have to make."
The Lady Mustangs outshot the visitors, 18-3. Highlands goalkeepers Jesse Daley and Sarah Owen once again split halves. Daley made six saves in the first half including one on a rebound shot and Owen made seven in the second.
Brossart junior goalkeeper Sarah Futcher did not have a lot of action at her end. She saved all three Highlands shots.
Both teams ran 4-4-2 attacks. But Brossart showed its balance as five different players scored. The Lady Mustangs scored four goals in the second half to pull away.
Highlands freshman Brooklynn Rivers makes things happen when the Ladybirds get the ball to her. She had just a few touches Tuesday.
Brossart dented the scoreboard in the first half when Micaela Smith scored. Teammates Madison Linebach, Allison Greely, Abby Stadmiller and Amanda Hasl added goals for the Lady Mustangs in the second half.
Kearns also hopes a return to a turf field will help. The Ladybirds played on grass fields at Pendery and in the recent win at Boone County.