Caldwell and Davis named to All-Tournament team
BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
LOUISVILLE — Martin County girls soccer etched their names in the record books Friday. They advanced to the Final Four of the All “A” Classic State Tournament for the first time in program history after a thrilling 4-3 win over Sayre in Louisville.
The Lady Cards put up a valiant effort later in the evening but took their first loss of the season 3-1 at the hands of Owensboro Catholic.
Faith Caldwell and Annaleigh Davis were both named to the All-Tournament team for their performances.
Martin County came out firing in the quarterfinal match against Sayre. Annaleigh Davis struck first just 9 minutes in to give the Lady Cards a 1-0 lead.
Sayre answered with two quick goals to go in front, but Faith Caldwell buried the equalizer with 9:30 left in the first half to tie it 2-2.
Davis put Martin County back on top with 5:40 remaining, but Sayre pulled even again at the 4-minute mark.
Davis completed her hat trick moments later to send the Lady Cards into halftime up 4-3, a lead they never surrendered.
The feisty forward led with three goals in the historic victory.
Caldwell finished with one goal and three assists, while Jaz Jude added an assist. Goalkeeper Bri Muncy anchored the defense with 15 saves to secure the victory and send Martin County to its first-ever state semifinal.
In the Final Four matchup, Martin County battled powerhouse Owensboro Catholic to a 1-1 draw at halftime before ultimately falling 3-1.
Caldwell provided the lone goal and Muncy delivered another 15-save performance to keep her team within striking distance.
Head coach Steven Gauze praised his team’s effort despite the quick turnaround and tough opponent.
“The girls played very well. I honestly feel if we hadn’t played two games in one day we could have beaten Owensboro,” Gauze said.
“Still, we were in the game till the end. We were tied 1-1 at halftime and I knew we were getting tired. Owensboro has one of the top scorers in the state named Allie Marston, who is very fast, and she got by us when the girls wore down.”
With four games remaining on the schedule, Gauze’s squad hopes to finish strong.
“I am very proud of making it to the Final Four and being competitive with top teams in the state,” Coach Gauze expressed after the stellar run.
Caldwell leads the entire state in assists with 30 (2.7 per match) and ranks ninth in total goals with 29, averaging 2.6 per game. Muncy ranks 10th statewide with seven shutouts.
The Lady Cards are one of Kentucky’s most balanced teams, ranked seventh in total scoring (69 goals, 5.3 per game) and fifth in scoring defense, having allowed just eight goals all season (0.6 per game). They also boast the state’s fifth-best scoring margin, outscoring opponents by an average of 4.7 goals per match.
The Cards’ schedule included an away match with a tough Johnson Central team (14-1) on Tuesday night. The team returns to the Rock on Thursday night to take on Belfry (6-5) at 7 p.m.