BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
Five games. Five wins. Forty-six goals scored and only one surrendered.
The Martin County Lady Cardinals have stormed out of the gate to a 5-0 start, including four mercy-rule victories and four shutouts.
Martin County opened the regular season with an 11-0 win over Pike Central on Aug. 15 before defeating Prestonsburg 10-0, district rival Johnson Central 9-1, East Carter 8-0 and Belfry 8-0.
The Lady Cards have been relentless on the attack while giving opposing offenses little room to breathe.
MC 10, P’burg 0
Martin County hit the road Aug. 18 and rolled past Prestonsburg 10-0.
Annaleigh Davis and Hope Caldwell each recorded hat tricks in the mercy-rule victory.
Davis poured in three goals and added an assist. Hope Caldwell finished with three goals and one assist.
Faith Caldwell found the back of the net twice and spent the rest of the match creating chances for her teammates. She dished out six assists.
Jaz Jude scored twice and added an assist. Team captain Londyn Fraley chipped in an assist.
Brianna Muncy recorded a save in goal as the Lady Cards posted the shutout.
MC 9, JC 1
The Lady Cards had been waiting for this one.
Martin County welcomed district rival Johnson Central to Cardinal Stadium on Aug. 20 and delivered one of its strongest performances of the young season in a 9-1 mercy-rule victory.
“The girls absolutely had this game circled on the calendar from the start of the season,” Martin County coach Steven Gauze said. “I know some were nervous about the game because it’s always an emotional game against JC and anything can happen.”
The nerves did not last long.
Faith Caldwell exploded for five goals and three assists. She had a hand in eight of Martin County’s nine scores.
Hope Caldwell knocked in two goals and added an assist. Jude finished with a goal and two assists, Davis scored once, and Alivia Stacy handed out an assist.
Muncy made four saves and has allowed only one goal through Martin County’s first five matches.
Gauze said his team entered the rivalry matchup locked in.
“The girls were really focused in warm-ups, being positive, and honestly felt like they had something to prove,” Gauze said. “We also had a big crowd making noise and cheering them on despite the rain.”
The performance gave Gauze another glimpse of what the Lady Cards can look like when everything comes together.
“It shows how good we can be when we are focused, have a good game plan, and play as a team,” he said. “This is definitely one of our best offensive performances of the season.”
For Gauze, the goal now is making sure the rivalry win becomes another step forward rather than a high point.
“It’s just our third game of the season, so hopefully we continue to improve and go a long way in the state tournament,” he said.
MC 8, EC 0
Martin County showed no signs of slowing down when East Carter visited Cardinal Stadium on Aug. 22.
The Lady Cards blanked the Lady Raiders 8-0 behind another monster outing from Faith Caldwell.
Caldwell poured in four goals and dished out four assists.
Jude supplied a hat trick with three goals and added an assist. Davis accounted for Martin County’s other goal. Anna Hinkle recorded an assist.
Through the four games alone, Faith Caldwell piled up 14 goals and 15 assists.
Jude contributed six goals and four assists during that three-game stretch. Davis had five goals and two assists, while Hope Caldwell tallied five goals and two assists.
MC 8, BHS 0
Martin County kept the train rolling Monday night.
The Lady Cards traveled to Belfry and returned home with an 8-0 victory to push their unbeaten record to 5-0.
The shutout was Martin County’s fourth in five games.
Faith Caldwell led the charge with a hat trick and two assists.
Jaz Jude added two goals and two assists. Hope Caldwell finished with a goal and an assist. Annaleigh Davis scored once and dished out two assists, and Mia Preece found the back of the net for the Lady Cards. Bri Muncy recorded another shutout in goal.
Through five matches, the Lady Cards have outscored opponents 46-1, an average of 9.2 goals per contest.
Martin County will have a break before returning to the pitch Sept. 5 at the Woodford County Soccer Complex. They are scheduled to play in the 15th Region All ‘A’ tournament Sept. 7. The Lady Cards are the defending champions as they made it to the Final Four in the state of Kentucky last season.