Ideally the #1 and #2 ranked teams should be playing for the Kentucky State Championship at the end of the season, but since the two best teams in the State reside in Section 2 of the KHSAA Girls Soccer alignment, only one can advance to the Final Four at Rawlings Stadium in Georgetown Kentucky. By virtue of their 1-0 sudden death shootout victory over the Lady Dragons, the Valkyries of Sacred Heart move on in the Tournament bringing South's 2002 soccer season to an end.
These two teams could not have been more evenly matched as evidenced by their three matches this year, but it was the Valkyries' year as they held off the Lady Dragons to win all three contests that got closer each time. South Oldham lost to Sacred Heart 0-1 early in the season, then played them about 2 weeks later in the Lexington Catholic Invitational losing 0-1 in a shootout and now in the Section 2 game losing 0-1 in a "sudden-death" shootout.
Sacred Heart threatened first with two shots early in the game, the second with 37:34 on the clock saved by a diving Ally Tucker. SHA got 2 corners back to back with 34 minutes remaining and another just a minute later. The Valkyries controlled the attack most of the first half, but the Lady Dragons got great defensive play from Tucker, Michelle Huber and Chelsea Rueff. South managed only a shot or two and a couple of corners and the half ended 0-0.
The teams reversed roles in the second half as South Oldham became the aggressor getting some early corner kicks and shots on goal by Hay, Morris, Workinger, and Amanda Moore. Defensively, it was Ally Tucker who continued to make saves and Libby Smith who reversed many a Sacred Heart advance. It was still scoreless at the end of regulation.
The first overtime was played mostly in front of South Oldham's goal with Heart getting a corner kick early and their biggest threat with about 5:20 left in the OT when Tucker picked up a dangerous ball bouncing in front of the goal. Hay got a free-kick attempt with about 3 minutes to go but neither team would score.
Overtime #2 was played pretty evenly with South threatening on a couple of free kicks and corners and a shot on goal by Rueff. SHA's best threats were a corner about midway through, a long free kick saved by Tucker at the 2:45 mark and a last second roller that just missed left. Still tied at 0-0, the teams prepared for sudden death overtime.
The two sudden death overtimes failed to produce a goal meaning the game would be decided by a shootout. It had been a well played game. Both teams had good chances to score, and the defenses responded effectively. It was a physical but relatively clean contest with players shoulder to shoulder much of the time battling for 50/50 balls. Numerous corner kicks were repelled and the players for both teams were giving it their all as they must have been exhausted after a grueling 110 minutes of play.
In the shootout, Ally Tucker blocked her opponents 3rd shot putting the Dragons up one, but the SHA goalie answered by catching South's 4th shot, and the shootout ended in a 4-4 tie. Now in sudden death, Sacred Heart would make their first shot, as SOHS's sailed high giving the Valkyries the win.
The South Oldham team had played their hearts out and come up short. There were tears, but tears of disappointment, not defeat because:
"they played like Champions".
This was a team that had lost 13 seniors to graduation and didn't miss a beat:
"they played like Champions".
This is a team who early on professed to those who doubted them that tradition doesn't graduate, and then proved it:
"they played like Champions".
This is a team that won't be remembered for falling short of a state title,but one who maintained the legacy of great girls soccer at South Oldham High School:
"they played like Champions".
This is a team whose coaches, parents, fans, and all SOHS alumni can be proud of because:
THEY PLAYED LIKE CHAMPIONS!!"
