Martin County secures top seed in regional

BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

RUSSELL — In a historical season, the Martin County High School girls soccer team again made history Sept. 30. The Cards defeated Russell 3-2 on the road for the program’s first-ever win over the Red Devils.

The Lady Cardinals struck first just under four minutes into the match.

Hope Caldwell made a defensive stop and pushed the ball ahead to her sister, Faith Caldwell, who found an open Maddy Goble in transition. Goble delivered a perfect pass to Annaleigh Davis, who dribbled from midfield to the left side of the box and booted one past the keeper to put Martin County on the board.

Russell answered three minutes later to even the score at 1-1, and both teams held steady for the rest of the first half.

Early in the second half, F. Caldwell broke the stalemate with a sprint from midfield, firing a shot past the diving goalkeeper to reclaim the lead for Martin County.

Goalkeeper Bri Muncy came up with a key save moments later to preserve the advantage.

With about 15 minutes remaining, Maja Alm-Arnesen gained possession outside the box and worked the ball toward the right corner. She passed to H. Caldwell, who was quickly hounded by defenders. Caldwell kicked it back out to Alm-Arnesen, who fired a shot on goal. The Russell keeper blocked the attempt and sent the ball floating high in front of the posts. H. Caldwell rose up and headed the ball into the net for Martin County’s third goal.

Russell scored again minutes later, but the Cardinals held firm to end the regular season undefeated.

Davis and F. Caldwell each finished with a goal. H. Caldwell scored the header and had an assist. Goble helped out a teammate on a score. Muncy had seven saves in the box.

Head coach Steven Gauze said the matchup was a test of execution and effort between two evenly matched teams.

“We have played so many teams with different styles of play, but Russell was so similar to ours,” Gauze said. “We try to keep possession of the ball, move it fast, and attack when we have an opportunity.”

Coach Gauze knew the game would likely be decided by which team capitalized on mistakes.

“I felt the game would come down to effort,” Gauze said. “This game really showed me how determined my girls are to win.”

Gauze added that he was proud of his team’s grit and composure.

“It turned out to be a great game till the end,” he said. “This is the kind of toughness you want to see from your team going into the Super Region.”

Looking ahead, Gauze said his focus now shifts toward preparing his team for postseason play.

“My mindset now is season starts over,” he said. “Wins and losses this season don’t matter. Nobody comes to a tournament to lose.”

He said the team’s challenge will be maintaining momentum during the weeklong break before Super Region competition begins.

“We’re the top seed, so getting a first-round bye sounds great, but now we sit for a week without games,” Gauze said. “My job is to keep the tempo high, keep it competitive, and have the team ready for the Super Region on the 13th.”

F. Caldwell is ranked 11th in the state in scoring with 37 goals this season, averaging 2.6 per game, which places her sixth overall. The playmaker ranks second in assists with 34, just one shy of the state leader. She is leading the state with 2.4 assists per game. Caldwell is also fifth in total points with 108 and first in points per game at 7.7.

Muncy is for 22nd in the state with seven shutouts in between the posts.

As a team, Martin County is a powerhouse. The Cardinals are ranked fourth in the state in scoring, averaging 6.2 goals per game. They allow only 1.1 goals per game defensively, which is good for 22nd in the state. Their scoring margin of 5.1 goals per game also ranks fourth.

Martin County’s success shows in their strength of schedule. The squad is ranked fifth in the official team RPI rankings at .67811, proving they are taking down tough opponents and not just easy competition.

Martin County finishes the regular season 14-1 overall and was undefeated in regional play. The Cardinals will play the winner of Belfry and Prestonsburg in the Super Region tournament, which begins Oct. 13 at Johnson Central.

The Lady Cards have already beaten both opponents this season, topping Prestonsburg 9–0 and 8–0 and defeating Belfry 10–2.