Following their first State Tournament win in program history earlier in the week, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs were back in action on Saturday, hosting Sacred Hart on their own turn in the second round. Despite holding the lead in the second half, the road would come to an end in the quarterfinals for the Lady Mustangs, as a flurry of late offense saw the Valkyries rally for a 3-1 victory to end McCracken’s year.
“We were very well prepared for this game tonight, huge credit to our coaching staff, but we just lost to the better team tonight.” said McCracken County head coach Mike Lane, speaking post-game. “But, I can’t say enough about this team…This team is a family. We laugh together, and cry together. Win together, and lose together. The girls gave it all they could give, and we’re very proud of them.”
Straight from kick-off, the speed and aggression of the Valkyries was on display, as they pressed forward into McCracken’s end. As the half rolled along, the visitors continued to dominate possession, creating plenty of chances on goal, while snuffing out any counterattack for the Lady Mustangs. However, in the face of the pressure, McCracken’s back line would hold firm, keeping the score level. With plenty of big saves from Addi Smith, things would remain scoreless between the two through the end of the first half.
“Coming into this, we knew they were going to do just that.” said Lane, on Sacred Heart’s first half pressure. “But, [Addi] was just phenomenal. After telling her all season that good goalkeepers keep teams in games, she kept us in this game, and made some tenacious saves.”
Once play resumed, the high pace of play continued, with either side seeing a shot hit the post inside of the first three minutes. As the half continued, the Lady Mustangs would settle in, creating the better of the opportunities early on. Finally, the deadlock would be broken just under 13 minutes in the half, as Maddy Ledgerwood found some space along the right wing. A cross fired into the box would be turned into the back of the net by KK Tynes, putting the Lady Mustangs ahead, 1-0.
However, the Valkyries would only turn up the heat once they were behind, quickly turning the tide of the game straight back in their favor. Finding a way to break through Smith and the Lady Mustang defense, a pair of goals in quick succession would follow, putting the visitors ahead near the midway mark of the half.
“We told the girls not to worry about how many shots they had on us, we knew they’d get a lot of shots, we just had to wait for our opportunity, and we found it with that first goal.” said Lane, on the second half. “We knew they were going to come with a lot of numbers forward in the second half, and we were just hoping to counter that. But, at the end of the day, hats off to them, they’re just a great, well coached team.”
Down the stretch, Sacred Heart would do well to keep the Lady Mustangs out of their attacking third, holding onto their narrow edge as the game headed to its final ten minutes. With seven to play, a third goal for the Valkyries would put the game on ice, as they bled the clock dry to end the Lady Mustangs’ season by a score of 3-1.
“This was a very special season. As it got closer to the end, we really dug in, took it one game at a time, and it’s something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.” said Lane. “The girls gave 110% tonight…They have a ‘never say die’ attitude, and that’s the way they play. I told them to play like today’s their last game, I have for the last few games. They did that, and they gave their heart and soul to their teammates, their community, and this school. That’s all I could have asked for.”