With the new soccer season already less than two weeks away, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs’ preparations are in full-swing ahead of their opening match, as they look to defend their First Region title.
“There’s a real buzz around this team right now, it’s a great group of girls, and they’re getting really excited to play,” said Lady Mustangs head coach Mike Lane, looking ahead to the season. “They have great chemistry with each other, they’ve been competitive on and off the field, and it’s just been a fun group to be around and coach.”
Looking towards this year’s roster, the Lady Mustangs will be bolstered by the return of much of 2025’s attacking core, including top scorer Maddy Ledgerwood, who netted 27 goals as a junior.
“Every team we play, we know that she’s the one they’re going to be focused on stopping, and she knows that too. But the thing is, she can pass the ball and find an assist just as well as she can put one in the back of the net,” Lane said, on Ledgerwood. “We’re focused on playing around her while still playing through her, and not allowing teams to think that she’s our only target for scoring goals.”
With junior winger Maddie Ault and sophomore attacking midfielder Lucy Farmery also back in the fold, the Lady Mustangs are hoping to bring a fast-paced, unpredictable attack to the table in 2026.
“I’ve been told before that we create a lot of chaos when we’re attacking, and that’s the way I like to coach this team. We don’t necessarily stick to one single attacking formation, we like to move the ball freely, and I think that’s a fun style of soccer to watch,” Lane continued. “It’s a high-speed style of play, and we’re looking to get in behind defenses as quick as we can when we’re attacking. We’re also working on getting the girls to be a bit more aggressive at times, and better at winning the ball back in the air.”
However, on the defensive side of the ball is where the Lady Mustangs will see the most turnover, following a couple of key senior departures from last season’s back line. Rebuilding from the back has been a focus over the offseason for Lane, with senior Sephie Warfield and juniors Harper Barbaras and Rita Perez tapped as key pieces to the defense moving forward. The Lady Mustangs will also lean on senior goalkeeper Addison Smith, who will once again anchor the defense from the back following 15 appearances and three clean sheets as a junior.
“Addison’s a very vocal leader, and we’re expecting a lot of big things out of her this season,” Lane added. “She’s someone that can keep the girls honest and accountable out there. That’s something I’m always looking for in my seniors, is that leadership and guidance on the field.”
Even with the changes on the pitch, for Lane and his Lady Mustangs, the expectations remain the same.
“The bar’s set high for us, of course. We’d love to repeat as regional champions and make it far in the postseason, that’s always the goal,” Lane concluded. “For now, we’re just taking things one game at a time, and that’s all I’ll ever ask our girls to do. The focus for us over the whole year is to be ready for the postseason, and hopefully we can have the same success we did last year.”
Following a pair of preseason scrimmages against Central Hardin and Owensboro next week, the Lady Mustangs will open up their season against Owensboro Catholic on August 14.