Somerset —
Southwestern came into Tuesday night’s contest against South Laurel with something to prove. Last season, the Lady Cardinals beat the Lady Warriors 10-0 in London. With that loss lying on the back of their collective minds, Southwestern was looking for a bit of redemption on Tuesday night at The Plains. Matt Cook’s squad had the game in hand for the game’s first 70 minutes, unfortunately a soccer game last 80 minutes. Thanks to last-minute heroics from Jessica Perkins, Todd White’s Lady Cardinal club was able to make a spectacular comeback in the final ten minutes to down home standing Southwestern by a final of 4-3. The loss handed the Lady Warriors their first setback of the season.
“Last year, we went over there (to South Laurel), and they humiliated us,” began Cook. “They beat us 10-0.”
Over the course of the second half, South Laurel’s Perkins had trouble getting a shot past goal keeper Kaylee Shepherd, who played an amazing game in the net for the Lady Warriors. Shot after shot was blocked by Shepherd, but with 11:00 left in the contest the senior forward made a spectacular shot while falling down to knot the game up a 3-3.
After going into defensive mode for the entire second half, in part to the injury to Kayla Janbakhsh, the Lady Warriors shifted back into scoring mode in an attempt to one up the Lady Cardinals. Danay Fothergill, already with a hat trick, took a shot with 7:00 minutes left to play, but the shot sailed over the goal, handing South Laurel a goal kick.
With just under four minutes later, Perkins delivered once again for South Laurel, as she scored her third goal of the contest. The goal put the Lady Cardinals out front 4-3. With that goal, it was the first time the Lady Warriors trailed all season long.
“It’s unfortunate to let the game get away from us at the end,” explained the Lady Warrior coach. “We got that goal at the start of the (second) half, and I really packed it in. (Kayla) Janbakhsh was on the bench, so I really didn’t feel like I had a choice - we just went for broke.”
“We held them for the first 20 minutes of it. It looked like we ran out of gas a little bit.”
That goal by Perkins turned out to be a dagger to the chest for Southwestern , as White’s club won the contest 4-3.
“I think we showed a lot of heart near the end of the game,” expressed the South Laurel head coach. “We did what we had to do to win the game.”
State soccer history was made in the game’s opening minutes, as Fothergill scored a goal in the seventh minute. After a Lady Warrior was fouled in the box, Fothergill took the penalty kick. The senior’s attempt was good, giving Fothergill her 100th career goal - a rare feat for a high school soccer player.
“I’m super proud of Danay,” complimented the Lady Warrior coach. “A hundred goals in soccer is not something that many people ever accomplish. She’s gotten it because she’s came out here and worked extremely hard. She never gets the kind of credit that she deserves, I’ll just tell you.”
According to Cook, it’s more than just individual statistics that matter to Fothergill - it’s wins that do the thing for her.
“All she wants to do is win,” explained Cook. “If she never scored and we were winning games, she would be fine with it. She really deserves it, it’s quite an honor for her.”
In the 22nd minute, Perkins dribbled right past the Southwestern defense for her first of three goals on the night. Perkins’ goal tied the game up at one apiece.
With 4:00 left until the break, Fothergill converted on a free kick that bounced off the goalie’s hands for a goal.
Not to be out done Southwestern, South Laurel’s Amy Fouts found the left corner of the nets, knotting the game up at 2-2, which would be the score at halftime.
“I think we got out of the gate kind of slow tonight,” White said. “Here in the last few games, we’ve came out a bit flat - out girls aren’t ready to play.”
“I thought the Fothergill girl really gave us some trouble at the beginning.”
Eight minutes into the second half, Jaci Brainard was fouled inside the box, giving Southwestern another penalty kick. Fothergill made the penalty kick, handing the lead back to the Lady Warriors 3-2.
With the win, South Laurel upped their record to 2-4 on the season. The Lady Cardinals will host the Lady Rebels of Boyle County tonight at 6 p.m.
After beginning the year with the likes of Boone County, Henry Clay, Dunbar, and Anderson County, White was pleased to get a second win under their belts.
“We’ve had a real brutal schedule - that makes only our second win this year,” said White. “We’ve played a lot of top 25 teams.”
“It’s real nice to get in the win column, and for our girls to get a little confidence back. I’m really proud of them.
The Lady Warriors, now 7-1 on the year, will travel to Glasgow tonight for a contest with the Lady Scotties.
“We had a pretty good, undefeated run — it’s over now,” Cook expressed.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Southwestern High School senior Danay Fothergill (left) scored her career 100th goal on Tuesday evening at The Plains. However, the Lady Warriors’ undefeated soccer record fell in a 4-3 loss to South Laurel. Steve Cornelius Photo
South Laurel comes back to down Lady Warriors
Southwestern’s Fothergill nets career 100th goal
- Local Sports
-
-
Trevor Herd signs with Union College
During his four years on the Somerset High School soccer team, Trevor Herd scored 50 goals and notched 13 assists. During his junior year, Herd scored 27 goals in 21 matches, which earned him Commonwealth Journal's All-County Player of the Year. Despite being riddled by injuries during his senior campaign, Herd still scored nine goals, had five assists, and was named to both All-District and All-Tournament Teams throughout his career.
And while Herd’s injuries were serious enough to end his future as a soccer player at the next level, the talented Somerset High School senior set his mind on continuing to play and recently signed to play at the next level for Union College. -
Lady Warriors win 7th straight crown
Since joining the 48th District, the Southwestern Lady Warriors have owned their tournament. In the first six seasons, one with Coach Derrick Harris and five under Jim Woodall, Southwestern had been 12-0 with six straight 48th District crowns—and they outscored their opponents 106-5 in the process.
-
Somerset grabs district crown from Pulaski
Early in the 2012 high school baseball season, the Somerset Briar Jumpers were having their fair share of struggles at the plate.
However, Phil Grundy’s club appears to be hitting its stride at the perfect time of the year. -
Lady Jumpers win back-to-back district titles
In 2011, the Somerset Lady Jumper softball team — who had won its first regional crown the year before in 2010 — brought home its first ever district title with a win in the finals over Pulaski County.
-
Warriors squeak out 5-4 win over McCreary
Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, visiting McCreary Central had a slight edge over Southwestern, as they held a 4-3 lead over the homestanding Warriors.
But Alex Eaton’s Warriors would not let that slight edge affect them, as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to grab a 5-4 victory in the opening round of the 48th District Baseball Tournament last night at Warrior Stadium. -
Impact of a state track meet
For most high school track athletes, the state championship is the grand finale to a to grueling high school track season or the cultivation of a long prep career filled with sweat, pain, nagging injuries and constant sore muscles.
-
An old friend and a new face
On Wednesday afternoon, Somerset High School announced their new basketball head coaches for the upcoming season.
-
A ‘Storm’ is heading to UK
Somerset High School’s WB Jones Auditorium was packed with ‘purple and gold’ clad students on Tuesday afternoon during their annual year-end award cermony.
-
Warriors top Pulaski in Scott McAninch Memorial
Over the past three weeks, not a single baseball team inside the 12th Region had been any hotter than the Southwestern Warriors or the Pulaski County Maroons.
-
Somerset track teams win Region, again
Both the Somerset High School boys and girls track teams claimed regional team titles late Saturday night in the Class A Region 6 Track and Field Championships at Somerset’s Joan Spurlock Track Complex.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
Raw Video: 19 Dead in Qatar Shopping Mall Fire
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
Service Dogs Help Wash. Soldiers Battling PTSD
Raw Video: Heckler Bursts in on Blair Testimony
Japan Farmers Plant, Seek Radiation-free Rice
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
