GIRLS PREP SOCCER: Central rebounds with win over North (9/16)

By CHUCK JONES cjones@thenewsenterprise.com CECILIA — After a disappointing 5-2 loss to Ohio County on Saturday, Central Hardin coach Hal Bender wondered how his team would bounce back. He didn’t have to wait long to get his answer. The homestanding Lady Bruins scored less than a minute into Monday night’s game and added two more in the first half en route to a 3-0 victory over the North Hardin Lady Trojans in 10th District action. “We talked to them before the game about getting to them early,” Bender said. “It was a big relief to score early after a disastrous Saturday. We played well for 20 minutes, then the little mistakes became big mistakes. It’s a good sign. They are very resilient.” Freshman forward Lauren Norton supplied the Lady Bruins with all the offense they would need 56 seconds into the match when she took a cross from senior Teress Rachel and slipped it into the net. “It was a good cross,” Norton said. “I don’t know who crossed it. I got a little lucky because the girl fell down. It felt good. We needed that.” The Central Hardin defense did the rest. Sophomore Ainsley Moreman made three saves to record the shutout, but the backline of senior Elena Hitch, juniors Morgan Fulkerson and Amanda Novak and sophomore Jaycee Reneau along with sophomore Kaitlyn Calloway made sure Moreman wasn’t challenged too many times. “Our defense played outstanding,” Bender said. “They were patient when they had to be and they had good communication. It’s probably the best they’ve played all year.” Prior to the season, the Lady Bruins switched defenses and Hitch said it has taken some time for the Lady Bruins to find their comfort level. “At the beginning of the season, we went from playing three people in the back to a flat four,” Hitch said. “It’s coming more natural now. We need to keep the communication going and continue to work well together.” Central Hardin (6-5 overall) improved to 4-1 in the district and locked up the No. 2 seed for the postseason tournament. For North Hardin (5-4, 2-2), this was the second consecutive game the Lady Trojans have failed to score and they’ve only scored once in their last three games. This was the first time they’ve been shut out by Central Hardin since Sept. 27, 2004 – another 3-0 loss. The Lady Trojans are dealing with a rash of injuries, including to seniors Katie Edwards, Ashley Corum and Shameen Eure. “Injuries have taken a toll on us, but it’s not just injuries,” North Hardin coach Hayley Yourous said. “We’re making too many mistakes. We’re not going to make any excuses. “We’re chasing the ball too much,” she added. “We’re playing the other team’s game and not playing our game. We’re not doing the fundamental things right now. We’re lacking right now in those areas. We need to go back to the drawing board. We need to fix things and we need to make changes on the things that don’t work.” Leading 1-0, Norton added her second goal off an assist from junior Elizabeth Ivy with less than 19 minutes to play in the first half and another freshman – Samantha Donahue — scored with 11 seconds left in the first half to help the Lady Bruins build a 3-0 lead. “I played pretty good,” Norton said. “I was pretty upset (I missed that one in the second half), but I get what I get. I scored two and that’s pretty good. I’m just happy we got the win. We needed that.” Central Hardin won the junior varsity game, 6-0. UP NEXT: Central Hardin plays host to Lexington Christian at 8 p.m. Friday. North Hardin plays host to Nelson County at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Chuck Jones can be reached at 505-1759

Neal Cardin

North Hardin's Sarah Castillo heads the ball in front of Central Hardin's Miranda Fulkerson during first half action Monday night at Central Hardin High School.

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Neal Cardin

Central Hardin's Samantha Donahue jumps over North Hardin goal keeper Hannah Jeffries before kicking the ball into the net to put the Lady Bruins up 3-0 in the last seconds of the first half Monday night at Central Hardin High School.

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