BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
PRESTONSBURG — Martin County Middle School showed early fight but could not keep pace late in a 3-1 loss to Lawrence County in the OVC Tournament on May 4 at Adams.
The Lady Cardinals answered quickly in the first half when Aubree Muncy found the net just under eight minutes in to tie the match at 1-1.
Goalkeeper Emily Mills helped keep Martin County in the match with a string of key saves. With 22:11 remaining in the first half, Mills broke to her left to deny a scoring attempt, then followed it with another stop 30 seconds later. She came up big again at the 13:13 mark, jumping on a loose ball in traffic in front of the net.
Lawrence County regained control late in the half, scoring just under the 11-minute mark to take a 2-1 lead before adding another goal at 9:15 to extend the margin to 3-1.
Mills continued to battle in goal with additional saves at 6:10 and 5:06, but Martin County was unable to close the gap.
Martin County head coach Steven Gauze said the turning point came late, as fatigue set in.
“Probably about 18 minutes left in the second half, we were tired,” Gauze said. “We were struggling to get back on defense. We were hoping to get another goal and get ahead, then I could pull them back, but it didn’t happen.”
Despite the result, Gauze praised his young roster’s effort.
“I give them credit. For those smaller girls to get in there and fight for the ball, down the road it’ll pay off,” he said. “They’re sad right now, but it’s a good experience for them. We’re going to work on developing them.”
Looking ahead, Gauze believes the experience will translate to the next level.
“We’ve been playing summer ball and some of the eighth graders could potentially start for the high school team,” he said. “They know the system.”
After the match, emotions were high as the eighth graders reflected on their final middle school game.
“We played really hard,” Emily Mills said through tears. “We gave it our best in practices and off the field.”
On being a leader, she added, “You have to guide them through the season, but then you realize they’re starting to get better.”
Aubree Muncy pointed to the team’s progress over the course of the season.
“I think as a team we progressed a lot through the season,” Muncy said. “I feel like we got 100% effort from all of the girls. You have to really step up and be an example for these younger kids.”
Alivia Stacy echoed that growth and leadership.
“We’ve improved a lot since our first game,” Stacy said. “I was once the younger one and I know how it feels, but now I know how to be a leader.”
For eighth grader KB Muncy, the season will be remembered for more than just results.
“One thing I will remember about this season is the friendships that I have made,” Muncy said. “One of my goals in high school soccer is to get better at playing defense. I’ve learned this season to be kind and be friends with everyone.”