By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Nine seniors on the Notre Dame girls’ soccer team have an opportunity to finish their high school careers as state champions.
Notre Dame defeated Daviess County, 2-0, in a semifinal match on Thursday to advance to the championship final. The Pandas (22-5-2) will play defending state champion West Jessamine (21-2-5) in the season finale at 7 p.m. Saturday at Lexington Lafayette High School.
West Jessamine defeated five-time state champion Louisville Sacred Heart, 2-1, in a penalty kick shootout in Thursday’s other semifinal match. The Colts’ only two losses this season came in late August.
In the quarterfinal round of last year’s state tournament, West Jessamine knocked off Notre Dame, 2-1, in a match that was also decided by a penalty kick shootout.
All of the players on the Notre Dame’s roster were in grade school when the Pandas won their last state soccer title in 2013. Now they’re one win away from claiming the program’s fourth state championship trophy and first under current head coach Dave Gronotte.
In Thursday’s match, senior forward Audrey Muck scored both of Notre Dame’s goals and senior goalkeeper Cassidy Craig made five saves to record the team’s sixth shutout in eight district, regional and state playoff matches.
Daviess County was averaging 5.3 goals per game and the Panthers were shut out only once during the regular season. They scored 38 goals in their first six post-season playoff matches.
One minute after the opening kickoff, Muck scored off a takeaway to put the Pandas ahead 1-0. They maintained that slim lead until the 65th minute when Muck took her second shot of the match and put it into the net.
Both teams were credited with five shots on goal, but Daviess County had a 16-10 advantage in total shots. The Panthers took eight shots in the second half. Craig made saves on two of them, one hit the post and another hit the crossbar.
This is the ninth time that Notre Dame has made it to the state final. The Pandas have a 3-5 record in previous state championship matches.