While Daviess County returns a handful of experienced players and a long-time head coach for 2019, the rest of the girls’ soccer teams in the 9th District will be led by first-year coaches and a mix of returning starters and new talent. With the new season set to kick off in one week, teams are in the last stages of preparation before their opening games.
The Lady Panthers will try to make it to their sixth consecutive 3rd Region title game behind a class of 12 seniors with significant minutes, and they’ll try to avenge a last-second loss in last season’s region championship
The Lady Aces, led by a new head coach, lost a few key players and will have to fill those voids, but Catholic has appeared in the last seven 3rd Region championships — winning five — and should be a contender again.
The E-Gals and Lady Devils are also under new leadership, and both programs are trying to rebuild and establish a strong foundation for future growth.
See below for bios on each team. Keep up with our coverage throughout the year by following us on Twitter @OwensboroSports, liking us on Facebook and checking online for daily results.
Daviess County
David Sandifer has been head coach of the Lady Panthers since 2002, and he said the expectations are the same as their are every season — compete for a regional championship.
With many four-year starters among a class of 12 seniors, Sandifer said his team will have plenty of leadership in hopes of reaching their goal.
“Kenlee Newcom is our returning leading scorer and Chloe Hinchcliffe is our returning assist leader, so we expect those to continue their output,” he said. “Meredith Campbell is returning after breaking her foot in the 2018 District Championship, and combined with Ashlyn Payton, Bree Owen, Hannah Hurt and Elizabeth Collier, they give us a very fast, athletic and versatile group of players that can play multiple positions.”
Tori Baylis, Sophie Jagoe and Lauren Fuqua all played substantial minutes last fall and Sandifer also expects contributions from Emma Winstead and Kayla Vanover this year. Daviess County also has four juniors and a big sophomore class — a few of whom gained some varsity experience last fall.
“The key to our success will be finding the right mix and alignment to best utilize the versatility we have,” Sandifer said. “We have several strong opponents for scrimmages and the regular season to test us, with Sacred Heart, West Jessamine, Elizabethtown and Bowling Green (along with several strong Tennessee and Indiana teams). Hopefully we will peak at the right time and learn from those matches to put us in a good position.”
Owensboro Catholic
After helping the Lady Aces from the sideline for nearly eight years, Lindsey Overby is taking over as head coach for the 2019 season. She’s planning to continue the success of the program both on and off the field.
“We expect to continue building an environment for each player to become the best player they can be on the field while teaching them the tools they will need as they grow into adults to be successful in the real world,” Overby said. “We will always be competing for district and regional titles and trying to make it to the state tournament.”
Overby said Catholic will rely on the five seniors to lead the team. Along with leading scorer Lily Moore, other returning seniors are Emma Eyre, Natalie Goodwin, Kara Morris and Kaylee Morris.
“This is their team and they have the responsibility to lead by example and to encourage and teach their younger teammates,” Overby said. “They will help the underclassmen be ready to lead when they are in that position.”
With a small roster, every member of the team will play a vital role in helping the Lady Aces continue their streak of reaching the region title game.
“We have somewhat of a short bench, so everyone will be expected to play an important part in everything we do,” Overby said. “Teamwork will be the key to success. We will have to foster an environment where the players all believe in each other and are willing to play for their teammates.”
Apollo
David Woeste, a seasoned coach and instructor, will be in his first year with the E-Gals. Woeste said he has slowly been intensifying the training schedule and has high hopes for year one.
“I would like to see a decent amount of development and growth in our program,” he said. “Our soccer skills and tactical understanding continue to improve. I would be happy if we won half of our games this season and won the first round of the playoffs.”
Leading the way for Apollo will be the lone returning senior Shelby Boone, who shares the captain role with junior Caitlyn Blandford.
“Shelby is certainly one of our most skillful defenders,” Woeste said. “Her dribbling, tackling and shooting skills are very advanced. She is the heart and soul of our team. Caitlyn is a very strong and skillful player. She is very tough and competitive and defensive-minded. She has a wicked shot as well.”
Other key returning players will be Alyssa Lawrence, Raylee Estes and Skylar Preston, while newcomers Woeste said could make a difference are Libby Biggs, JoHannah Hutchinson, Hser Mwee, Bway Paw and Shi Poe.
“The key to a successful season is for our entire team to draw together collectively and step up together,” Woeste said. “Team means to me that Together Everyone Achieves More.”
Owensboro
Michael Lovett is another veteran coach who will be a new face among the 9th District coaching staff. He’ll be working with a fairly inexperienced roster, and he hopes develop a strong base for the Lady Devils.
“We are in a rebuilding and retooling phase of our program,” Lovett said. “Our expectations are to learn the game, compete the entire match, execute our game plan and generate positive results.”
A trio of midfielders make up the key returning core — sophomore Ella Bratcher, junior Ella Grace Mays and senior Hadley Duvall. Lovett also has confidence in freshman Chandler Worth, sophomore Abby Beck and senior Kallie to step up for the team.
“These (midfielders) are forming a really good chemistry and are learning how to control the game tempo, which will be important for us moving forward this season,” Lovett said. “Stepping into the net this year is Chandler, who will be tested but is a competent goalkeeper we are happy to have playing at a high level. Abby and Kallie have shown massive progress in their learning curve and leadership ability. These three players will be catalysts for our defense.”
Lovett said the key to success this year will be execution of their game plan.
“If we perform in games how we’ve been performing in trainings, it should be a fun and more productive year for the Lady Devils’ soccer team.”
