The Carmel girls soccer team is headed down to Seymour on Saturday to play in the Class 3A south semi-state.
The fourth-ranked Greyhounds will play a familiar opponent: Center Grove, which is ranked eighth in the state. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m., in between two other games. First up is a 1A boys game between Covenant Christian and Providence, which kicks off at 1 p.m. After Carmel’s game, the 3A boys semi-state will start, to be contested by Zionsville and Bloomington South.
The Greyhounds played the Trojans on Sept. 26 in their last game of the regular season. Carmel won 1-0, which clinched an undefeated Metropolitan Conference championship.
Center Grove has played some tough competition on its way to the semi-state. The Trojans beat two ranked teams to win the Franklin Community sectional: After a win over Greenwood 9-0, Center Grove beat No. 10 Columbus East 2-0 and No. 18 Columbus North 2-0.
That sent the Trojans to the Bloomington South regional. In the semi-final, Center Grove played the No. 20-ranked host school and needed penalty kicks to advance, winning the shootout 3-1. The Trojans then beat Floyd Central in the championship game 7-0.
Senior Piper Belden is the Trojans’ leading scorer with 23 goals, followed by sophomore Macy Detty with 14 goals. Senior Gracyn Montfort leads in assists with 15. Junior Kelti Wise is Center Grove’s main goalkeeper, with 88 saves and a 0.559 goals against average.
Three players have seven goals for Carmel: Juniors Emma Antoine and Kelsie James and freshman Eimily Roper. James leads in assists with 10. Sophomore Erin Baker has had a great year as goalkeeper with 42 saves and a 0.166 GAA.
The 3A north semi-state will be played at South Bend St. Joseph between Valparaiso and Homestead at 3 p.m. Valpo ended the long tournament win streak of Penn in the final of the South Bend Adams regional, by the score of 2-0. Homestead got past Fishers in the Logansport final, winning a shootout 8-7.
Carmel goalkeeper Erin Baker (center) has made 42 saves for the Greyhounds this season and has a 0.166 goals against average. (Kirk Green/File photo)