For the first 68 minutes of the 9th District Championship, Daviess County had no answer for Owensboro goalie Haley Sikes. They peppered her with constant shots in the first half, but none were able to find the back of the net. In the second half, she showcased her range, tipping shots over the net and diving in front of the goal box.
Yet in the 69th minute, the Lady Panthers were finally able to break the scoreless tie when Bailey Brown found a streaking Mary Evelyn Wiman, who was able to push it past Sikes. Less than a minute later, Wiman fed Carolina Whitaker for the exclamation point as the Lady Panther held on 2-0 to win their third straight 9th District Championship.
“I am really proud of the girls tonight. I thought we played really well the whole game,” Daivess COunty Head Coach Paige Crisp said. “Owensboro’s keeper played a heck of a goal and made some really great saves. Really, their entire team played great. They have improved a lot since the beginning of the year. Coach Poole has done such a great job”
Entering the game, Owensboro chose to play defensively and test a few tactics out in preparation for the upcoming 3rd Region Tournament. After falling behind 2-0, the Lady Devils pulled Ella Hall and Lilly Paige Early out from the defensive end, culminating in a few scoring opportunities.
One of Owensboro’s best chances occurred in the final five minutes on a corner kick, but Lily Nieman’s shot attempt just missed over the top.
Sikes finished the 9th District Tournament with 42 saves, 23 of which came last night.
“I know how good and determined Haley is. She’s a determined kid,” Owensboro Head Coach Sarah Poole said. “I knew going into the game, just in warmups, that she was ready and focused. We had been working on specific saves all season, and she made those tonight.”
Both teams will have a few days off before the 3rd Region Tournament begins on Monday at Meade County.
“We just need to keep our momentum up,” Daviess County’s Bailey Brown said. “I think if we keep it up and our intensity high, then we can hopefully go far. Fingers crossed.”
