For the fourth time in five years, the Noblesville girls soccer team is a sectional champion.
The No. 1-ranked and defending state champion Millers won their own Class 3A Sectional 8 on Saturday, holding off No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern 2-1 in a hard-fought game at Hallmark Orthodontics Soccer Complex. Noblesville scored two quick first-half goals, then held off the Royals when they made a run in the second half.
“It feels really good,” said Noblesville senior Jacey Hoopingarner. “I think we’ve worked really hard for it and we’ve been wanting this. The whole season, we’ve been preparing, so it just feels good to accomplish what we wanted.”
Hoopingarner put the Millers on the board in the first half, during the game’s 26th minute. Jenna Chatterton had the ball running towards the goal, and kicked it to the right, where Hoopingarner collected the ball inside the goal box and kicked it in from around seven feet.
Noblesville had a lead, but it was not content with one goal. Just four minutes later (the game’s 30th minute), the Millers scored again. Makenna Maloy threw the ball in, and Ava Bramblett took control of it close to the out-of-bounds line. She crossed the ball into the goal box, where Meskerem James was there to easily kick it in.
“HSE’s a really good team, coming together at the right time,” said Noblesville coach Mike Brady. “It was just important to get goals against them, which we knew were going to be difficult to do.”
The Millers held their 2-0 lead into halftime. But Southeastern cut that lead to one just five minutes into the second half. Lauren Clark booted the ball into the net from just outside the goal box, and the score was now 2-1.
Noblesville was able to hold on to its lead for the remainder of the second half, although Southeastern made an intense push in the game’s last few minutes. The Royals got close to scoring with 3:15 left, but Millers goalkeeper Josie Taylor was there to deflect the ball over the top of the net.
“I’m real fortunate that I have such an outstanding goalkeeper group,” said Brady. Taylor was filling in for an injured Sara Kile, and she stepped up big time in such an important game.
“Josie’s been training well and you saw just what she’s able to do,” said Brady. “That save was pretty darn special to keep us in that game.”
Southeastern battled to the end before finishing its season with a 9-4-4 record.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our girls,” said Royals coach Greg Davidson. “The team that we became this year and how we played here in the tournament. We left it on the line.”
Noblesville improved to 13-0-1 and will play next Saturday at the Logansport regional. The Millers take on No. 10 Homestead in the first semi-final game, which starts at 10 a.m. No. 19 Harrison and Fort Wayne Carroll play the second semi-final, which begins around noon. The winners face off at 7 p.m. for the championship.
Guerin Catholic won its own sectional on Saturday, as the No. 3 Golden Eagles defeated No. 13 North Central 2-1 to claim Class 3A Sectional 8.
It was the first sectional title for Guerin in three years, and the school’s sixth overall.
“It feels fantastic,” said GC coach Sean Yau. “It feels like a lot of pressure has been lifted off our back. A few years ago, we were the underdogs. Now, currently we have the target on our back. It just feels amazing that you have the girls really earn that next sectional championship three years later from when they were freshmen in high school.”
Alyssa Ferry scored both of the Golden Eagles’ goals. The first one came in the 19th minute, with Ferry kicking in a cross from Quincy McMahon. That would give Guerin Catholic a 1-0 halftime lead. The Panthers converted a penalty kick in the 59th minute, but Ferry struck again with less than six minutes to go, kicking in a deflection off the goalkeeper’s hand.
“I think we started off strong, and then some times we got down,” said Ferry. “But we always just were there to pick each other up and get back to it.”
The Golden Eagles are now 13-1-2 for the season and play at the East Central regional next Saturday. Guerin Catholic plays Brownsburg in the 10 a.m. first semi-final, with No. 15 Mount Vernon and Roncalli contesting the noon semi-final. The championship will take place at 7 p.m.
Hamilton Heights, ranked No. 6 in Class 2A, fell to host and 13th-ranked Yorktown 1-0 in the final of Sectional 24 on Saturday.
The Tigers scored their goal early in the first half and were able to hold on from there.
Huskies coach Travis Kauffman said later that afternoon on Twitter that he couldn’t be prouder of his team, saying it “raised the bar” for Huskies girls soccer.
The Guerin Catholic girls soccer team beat North Central 2-1 on Saturday to win Class 3A Sectional 10 at the Golden Eagles’ field. The championship is the first in three years for Guerin Catholic. (Photo provided)