Notre Dame, Ryle, Brossart win Kentucky regional soccer titles
Facing one of the Ninth Region’s top offensive players in the regional championship game, the Notre Dame Academy girls soccer team wanted to get ahead early.
The Pandas did just that, scoring five minutes into the game and again 10 minutes later on their way to a 3-0 win over Cooper Saturday night at NDA.
Notre Dame (19-3-2) won the region for the first time since its state title year of 2021 and will play at George Rogers Clark (11-6-3) Monday night in the Kentucky High School Athletic Assocation Sweet 16 of soccer. Cooper finished 14-7-2.
“We worked hard all season,” said NDA’s Hannah Knapke, who was the tournament’s most valuable player. “I’m completely happy about this. We knew what our goal is, we wanted it so bad and we got it done.”
Kimmie Woeste put the Pandas on the board five minutes into the game by firing a shot inside the right post from about 25 yards away. It was her eighth goal of the season.
NDA scored again when Jane Schuh controlled the ball on the left side and crossed it to Knapke, who scored from close range for her fourth goal of the season.
Kate Lenihan scored early in the second half after taking a long pass from midfield and beating the keeper, her team-high 12th goal of the year.
Notre Dame’s defense focused on Cooper senior Maleah Alexander, one of the region’s top scorers every year of her career. She had 18 goals and seven assists this year.
“We told the girls how pivotal it was for us to get as many goals as we could in the first 20 minutes,” said first-year head coach Brian Woeste. “They produced. When you’re playing a team like Cooper that has one of the most dangerous players in the state in Maleah, the longer you leave them in the game, the more stressful the game is going to be.”
Defending Alexander was a team effort, with the Pandas pressuring her and hoping to keep senior Carlyn Tranter between her and the goal at all times.
“She’s a great player,” said sophomore Jane Schuh. “It was super important to stay on her. We did well, it was the entire team not just one person. We all took a part in it and it was a team win.”
Alexander and the Jaguars were in the regional final for the first time. She finished her career with 77 career goals and was a key senior leader, said head coach Scott Hughes.
“The character, the leadership, the way she connects with every girl in the program regardless of grade, age or ability,” Hughes said. “She is everything you want in a player, but also what you want from a daughter.”
Hughes said the Jaguars peaked in the postseason to get here, which is something they have struggled with in the past.
“Cooper has arrived,” he said. “Incredibly proud of our girls in terms of not only what they did this year, but how they’ve built the program over the last eight years. We still have a little ways to go as to winning the region, being able to compete fully with teams like Highlands and Notre Dame, but I like where we are.”
The Pandas will enter the state tourney with eight wins and a draw in their last nine games since losing 4-1 to Highlands Sept. 14. NDA drew 1-1 with Highlands Sept. 25 then beat the Bluebirds 2-1 in Wednesday night’s regional semis.
Boys soccer regional recap
Bishop Brossart will host Ryle Monday night in the KHSAA state round of 16 after both won regional championships Saturday afternoon.
Ryle shut out Newport Central Catholic 1-0 to win the Ninth Region championship for the second-straight year.
Ryle senior Diego Hoenderkamp scored a goal in the first half. It was Hoenderkamp’s 24th goal of the season. Hoenderkamp also has 23 assists for the season.
Hoenderkamp was the most valuable player of the Ninth Region Tournament. Teammates senior Landon Barth, junior Chris Maraduago and senior Anes Smajlovic were also all-tournament picks.
Barth posted his 14th shutout of the season, including all three regional tourney games. Ryle has allowed only 16 goals all season, 10 since losing its first two games. Ryle has 19 wins and a draw since its 0-2 start, with the draw a 3-3 tie with Madisonville-North Hopkins.
NewCath finished 17-6 for the season in its first trip to the regional final since 2013. The Thoroughbreds were looking for their first regional championship since 2011.
In the tourney, Jonathan Green had all three goals in the Thoroughbreds’ 3-2 win over Cooper in the quarterfinals, and two assists in NCC’s 3-0 win over Dixie Heights in the semifinals.
Senior Ryan Desmond had two assists in the first game and a goal and an assist in the second.
In the 10th Region, Bishop Brossart (17-4-5) beat Campbell County (11-10-1) for the second time in nine days, winning 3-0 in the regional final.
Senior Tyler Smith scored all three goals for the Mustangs, who have now scored 101 for the season and allowed only 24. Brossart posted shutouts in all three regional games and now has 12 for the season. Michael Cooney is the Brossart keeper.
Smith now has 35 goals and nine assists this season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Notre Dame, Ryle, Brossart win Kentucky regional soccer titles
