The Henderson County girls’ soccer team lost to Marshall County 4-0 Monday in the first round of the state tournament, marking an end to the season which was highlighted by perseverance, resilience and a memorable run to the region championship.
Coming off a dramatic victory over University Heights in a penalty-shootout to win the 2nd Region, the Lady Cols were hopeful that their momentum would carry them to success at state. However, the team faced an unfortunate setback as they were without leading scorer Layla Gugel, who was serving a suspension after being sent off with a red card in the regional championship. Without her, Henderson had to make adjustments to compensate for the loss of one of its best players.
Despite the challenge, the Lady Cols were able to play well enough to stay within one goal of the Lady Marshals at halftime. They would be unable to find their footing in the second half, however, as Marshall County produced three more goals leading to the final score and ultimately the conclusion of Henderson’s season.
The Lady Cols finished 14-5-5 on the season. Despite the disappointing ending, the team will be remembered for how it fought through adversity and injury throughout the season. Head Coach Ben Dempsey said this was one of his favorite senior groups and referred to the win over UHA as one of his “all-time favorite region wins.”
“What a season it was, overcoming a few setbacks and finishing out with the seniors winning the region at home,” Dempsey said. “I think this is a turning point for our program to reassert ourselves as a top team in west Kentucky. We just needed some belief that we now have.”
Henderson will bid farewell to seven seniors: Addlyn Bishop, Olivia Joyce, Maleah Dixon, Anna Dieguez, Annabelle Wilson, Madelyn Sutton and Rylie Moore.
Dempsey spoke highly of the seniors and their families, appreciating their contributions and the culture that they developed during their time at HCHS.
“Having a kid like Olivia Joyce score late and then step up to score a PK was such a great moment. Annabelle Wilson coming back from a broken arm this year and ACL last year were massive moments to see her come back from all the negative,” Dempsey said. “This group of senior parents was so good for our players and my individual family. They did a great job of supporting them through the highs and the lows.”
The head coach was also complimentary of the way his players embraced his own family, especially his own children.
“My favorite part was how much this year’s seniors embraced my kids. My daughter being front and center in all the pictures is such a sign that our kids care not just about winning, but about impacting others,” Dempsey said.
Though the Lady Cols will graduate a great deal of leadership, they will return lots of talent next year, including Gugel and McKinley Black who have led the team in goals scored in each of the past two seasons, as well as Latta Johnston who was this year’s team leader in assists. They’ll also bring back Jersey Gardner as an experienced senior goalkeeper.
One last highlight for the team was having several players named to the All-Region 2 Team. Gugel and Johnston were named to the First Team, while Black, Gardner, and Wilson were named to the Second Team. Joyce received Honorable Mention.
