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Lafayette High School Girls Soccer Team
Stephenie Swope
401 Reed Lane
Lexington, Kentucky
40503
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Lafayette Girls Soccer History
Lafayette has a long history of success in girls soccer. They started their first matches back in 1986. It was a short season, only 6 games, because there were not many teams to play. For the next few years, the sport grew and more and more teams were formed. 1989 saw the team play 20 games and become a more widely recognized sport for girls.
The spring of 1992 saw the team compile a 17-1 record that included a Kentucky Cup Tournament Championship, that served as the State Cup for that season. In the fall of 1992, the KHSAA declared Girls Soccer and official sanctioned sport with a State Tournament. That inaugeral season, coach Mark Montgomery led the Lady Generals to became the first KHSAA sanctioned Girls Soccer State Champion. The Generals were led by seniors: Sonya Kays, Sofia Nicklasson, Kathy Childers and Jennifer Nerstad. They achieved a 15-2-2 record and instantly became a state powerhouse when they defeated Notre Dame Academy 1-0 at Woodford County Stadium.
The following year, 1993, saw Lafayette fall to Lexington Catholic in the Region Finals. The Knights would go on to became the Girls State Runner- Up, but it was no consolation to the team as they had already defeated Catholic twice before then. This year marked the first time in school history that Lafayette had an All-American on their side. Standout junior sweeper, Christy Goff, would be the first All-American Lafayette Girls Soccer player. Christy would be joined by NSCAA All Region Player, Kris Kifer and All State player, Sarah Chrisman. Between the posts, the Lady Generals had Heather Joy, who would set the school record for shutouts with 14.
In 1994, Lafayette returned to the Championship game at Woodford County Stadium. The Lady Generals would face Male High School and endure a classic battle of powerhouse programs. This year, with All-American Christy Goff leading, the Lafayette Girls would fall short and lose to Male 2-1 in overtime. This would be Christy's second year as an All-American and would distinguish herself as the only Lafayette Girls grad to ever be a two time All-American.
The 1995 season was a disappointing one for the Generals. This marked the first time in varsity competition, that the Lady Generals had not finished with at least 15 wins and had not compiled a winning record. All- American Kris Kifer would take the Generals as far as they could go. They would finish with a 7-9-1 record and end their season early in the district tournament.
The '96 season also saw the Generals struggle. Their record was disappointing 6-11, however 9 of the 11 loses were by one goal. Four of those loses came in overtime and even ended in a shootout. Led by Junior All-State player, Shelby Lynn, the Generals would lose in the first round of the district tournament to end the season.
The 1997 season was an exciting one for the Generals. Not only did they get back on track to their winning ways, they did it in a big way. Senior All-State player, Shelby Lynn, and captain Chelsea Smith would lead Lafayette back to a winning record, at 10-9. The Generals had reason for end of season excitement when they faced South Oldham. South Oldham came to Lafayette with a 52 game winning streak, and having won the 1995 and 1996 State Championship. The Mighty Reds gave them all they could handle and ended the 52 game win streak for the #6 team in the nation, South Oldham. The team was full of confidence, however a 0-1 loss to Lexington Catholic in the first round of district, again would leave a somber note on the season.
The Generals were still feeling the taste of defeat from last season's district loss. 1998 would prove to be a year full of winning expectations. With returning All State captain, Chelsea Smith and seniors Susan Shanklin and Karen Morgan, the Girls of Reed Lane looked to maker another run at success. This post season, the Lafayette girls were able to get a win and advance to the region tournament, however cross town rival Henry Clay ended their season with a 3-0 win over LHS. They would finish the season with a record of 12-10
1998 marked the end of an era in Lafayette Girls Soccer History. Long time coach, Mark Montgomery retired from the sidelines of the girls program. Having compiled a 88-50-6 record in 6 seasons, the sideline General would be missed. New coach Stephon Brown, would take control of the program after being an assistant for 3 years. This season, the team would return 12 players from last year. The hopes were high, but things didnt fall into place like they had hoped. The Mighty Red's ended the season with a 6-12 record. The season was a challenging one for everyone.
The 2000 season would be a reason for optimism. In his second year, Coach Brown would lead the Generals towards post season play. The Generals would once again end the season with a 0-4 district tournament loss to Lexington Catholic.
The 2001 season started by Lafayette welcoming a new coach to guide the program, Mike Fulton. This years team had alot of talent to be successful and it looked like this year would be a chance at post season success. Senior leadership would not be a problem, as the Generals had 10 seniors to lead the team into match play. Also adding some needed depth would be junior Laura Oppegard, sophomore's Kristine Cohen and Katie Young, along with freshmen Ashley Stigall and Betsy Kanis. The squad would open up the season with a 6 game win streak, including a trip to the Oak Ridge Classic. The middle part of the schedule saw the Mighty Red's face some very tough competition including Dunbar, Assumption, Holy Cross and South Oldham. The end of the season had the Generals on a 3 game win streak going into district play. Not only had they won those game, but they had 3 consecutive shut outs as well. The time seemed right and expectations grew as the team faced Lexington Catholic in the first round of the district. After a classic battle of talented teams, Lafayette eventually ended up on the losing end of a 1-0 game. They ended the season with a 13-9 record.
Unfortunately, the 2002 season brought the influx of a new coaching staff to the school. Michael Lippert, who is a Lafayette Alumni, was named the new head coach. The 2002 season might be viewed as a turning point in the storied history of LHS Girls Soccer. Expectations were low as the Generals tried to rebound from the loss of 10 seniors. While the Generals only had 5 seniors this season, these seniors would help guide the team to its most successful season in 9 years. Beginning the season ranked #15 in the state, the Generals used their Player of the Year Finalist, Laura Oppegard, and their All Region captain, Stacy Shafer, to get on the winning track early. The first game of the season they face the Defending State Champs, South Oldham, and defeated them 3-1. That would be the confidence the Generals needed to believe in themselves. Along the way, this team would become Woodford County Invitational Champs and Kentucky Cup Runners-Up. They would compile an impressive record of 17-5 and were ranked #4 in state in the last week of the season. Unlike previous years, this Lafayette team enjoyed District Tournament success by defeating Lexington Christian Academy 3-0 and then faced Lexington Catholic, the eventual State Champion, in the finals. The game was a good one, but the Generals came out on the losing end of a 1-0 game. Being District Runner Up, the team advanced to the Region Tournament to face Henry Clay. With less than 5 minutes in the first half, the Blue Devils were able to score and take a 1-0 lead. This one goal lead would be too much for the Generals to overcome, as they lost to Henry Clay 1-0. While they might not have gotten back to the State Finals, future teams should be fearful that they woke the sleeping giant....
With the beginning of a new season, the Lady Generals were looking to build off their previous year's post season success. The 2003 season would see the coaching staff return for a second year and guide the preseason #4 team in the state. The team was loaded with depth and talent, but could they make it work on the field? The season will be remembered as a disappointment and a success. The first game of the season saw the Generals overlook a young but talented bunch a George Rogers Clark, and end in a 1-1 tie. Next, they would enter the BOSS with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. After a thrashing of Bryan Station, the Generals would be blanked by eventual State Champion, Sacred Heart 0-3. However, the Mighty Red had learned a little and went on to win the BOSS Tournament 1-0 over Elizabethtown, after sneaking into the semifinals and defeating Dunbar. This was a solid showing that led to Lafayette becoming the #1 ranked in the state. The following week, the Generals hosted a very large crowd and talented Henry Clay team loaded with seniors. Lafayette would take an early lead and hold onto it until the last 20 minutes when a suspect PK was called and the Blue Devils tied it up. The game ended 2-2 as they travelled to the Katie Hunter Tournament in Oak Ridge, TN. In Oak Ridge, the Generals hit a wall and lost all 4 games. They played some top teams in Tennessee, but the results were disappointing. The team would briefly break their slump with a 1-0 win over Manual in the Male Bulldog Cup. Then, the team lost another 3 straight games in the tournament. They would slowly get back on track with straight wins over Dunbar, Woodford County and then Dunbar again. The team would then enter a stretch of ups and downs that saw them tie an average LCA team, lose to a young, but dangerous Tates Creek team, crank out a win over an overmatched Woodford team again and finish the regular season with disappointing loss to Oldham County. With the post season upon them, no one knew which team would show up or how they would do. The first game of districts saw them face a Dunbar team that they already defeated 3 times before, this was no easy test... but they played a great game and won 3-0. Next, the team would face rival Lexington Catholic in the district finals. The team got here last year but couldnt finish it off. This year the Mighty Reds, ended the game in a 0-0 tie as it went to overtime. In the overtime period, the team finally broke one through to take a 1-0 lead, only to add a second goal within a few more minutes. They would become District champions for the first time in 10 years. The team wasnt done, and had learned from the previous years run. They would defeat Sayre in the semifinals and face Lexington Catholic again in the Region Finals. Of course, the game was a close one again. Going all the way to sudden death PK's after a 0-0 regulation time. With a 1 shot lead, Sophomore GK Stefanie Cohen, saved a Lex Cath PK that gave the Generals the Regional title. In the Sub Section, Lafayette would travel to Woodford County to face the Yellowjackets. The team was playing well and might have been looking ahead to the Sectionals, since they had defeated Woodford twice already. The game was one that cannot be described by words. It was a strange and unbelieveable event that will never happen again in a 100 years. After a pregame distraction, and giving up the first goal, the team battled back to lead, be tied, lead then be tied, be down then tie it up. They scored with 5 minutes to go in the game, to take the lead... but in the last minute Woodford would tie it up again. In overtime, neither team could score and it went to PK's. After living on the edge all game, it came to sudden death and the Generals would go down in defeat 5-6. The game will forever be remembered by all parents, players and coaches as undescribeable... While many may remember the shock and agony of the last game... success happened in many places: Having a BOSS Championship, District Championship and Regional Championship as the examples. Finishing with a 12-11-3 record, it was a difficult season but they reestablished the program as one of the best in the state once again.
The 2004 season was one that dreams were made of. It was a true testiment to a perfect team with great players. While they didnt return to the Championship, the season was truly a success. The preseason saw a team that had many returning starters and a preseason ranking of #5. The season started with a 1-0 win over GRC. Then the team would get a hard fought 1-1 tie with cross town rival Henry Clay in the FCSS and a 3-0 win over Cov. Holy Cross in the final preliminary match of the tournament. Those results were good enough to propel them to the semi finals vs. Greenwood, where they prevailed 4-1 to advance to the finals vs. Sacred Heart. Unfortunately, the weather got the best of everyone and cancelled the finals. Sacred Heart and Lafayette would share the FCSS Title. This was the beginning of a 22 game unbeaten streak. After GRC and Henry Clay, they would then reel off 12 straight wins. Another one of those wins included a crucial district win over Lexington Catholic with a 3-2 score. This marked the first time a public school had played LexCath in the regular season for over 6 years. Before a crowd of roughly 800 fans, the Lady Generals got a win that would lead to their #1 seed in the district tournament. Next, the team travelled to West Jessamine for the Colt Classic. The Generals continued their winning ways by only yielding 1 goal to West, Rowan County and Bourbon County the entire tournament and became Colt Classic Champions. The Mighty Reds would then travel to Tates Creek and face a young but determined team. The Reds would have chances, but could only muster a penalty kick to capture the win, 1-0. The next contest was against a new out of town foe. A very talented Huntington, WV team came to town and gave the Generals all kinds of challenges. The Huntington team came well prepared, but Lafayette continued to persevere with a 3-2 win. Huntington would go on to become West Virginia State Champs and ranked in the top 20 nationally. The Lady Generals would then go on to defeat East Jessamine, Bryan Station and Greenwood again. The next opponent was district rival Dunbar. The game was a great back and forth match which the Generals had 9 corner kicks to put it in, but couldnt crack the Dunbar defense and it ended 0-0. Following the heated district match, the team would face nationally ranked Father Ryan from Nashville. The Generals held their ground well and gave the FHA team all they could handle. The game ended 2-2, but the teaa continued to improve and mature. The season would close out with a win over Sayre, a Senior Night win over Henry Clay and a final district win over Lexington Christian by a 5-0 score. This would conclude the season with an undefeated 16-0-3 record. This would be the first time in Lexington area history that a team went undefeated in the regular season. At the end of the season the Lady Generals were ranked #25 in the nation for the first time in school history. They were ranked #2 in the state and focused on the State Title. In the District Tournament, the Generals continued to win. They defeated West Jessamine 4-0 and then defeated Lexington Catholic 2-1 for the District Championship. The 1st game of the region was against a very aggressive and physical Madison Central team. The lopsided 6-0 score was the smaller win of the game. The bigger being no one got hurt. That would set up a Region Final vs. Lexington Catholic for the third time this season. The game was a close one, as LexCath scored less than 10 minutes into the game. That 1-0 lead would withstand the 13 shots the Lady Generals had on goal. The pressure of no losses, all the concentration and all the hardwork had a huge toll on the players mental state. The game ended as a major upset with a 1-0 loss. The historic season had ended prematurely, but this team will forever be one of the best in school history. The 8 seniors who guided this team will always be remembered for their "perfect" season.
2005 was going to be another great year for the Generals as they returned another talented and experienced group of players. The team would return several top players from the previous seasons nationally ranked team and complement those players with some talented and experienced players off the JV team and reserves from the previous year. Expectations were high and the team had lots of talent to make another deep run into the post season. Early season games would serve as no test for the Lady Generals as they cruised through the first two games by beating Lexington Christian and East Jessamine by a combined 12-0 score. Next the Generals entered the FCSS with some quality opponents in front of them. They would tie Holy Cross 1-1, lose a tough game to Sacred Heart 0-1 and then easily defeat the Blue Devils 3-1. All in all, not a bad showing, but danger was lurking in the midst. The next game was against a very good Westerville team that gave the Generals all they could handle. Not only did the Generals lose the game, they lost a key player to an ACL tear. Next they would lose to a team they were more talented than, but GRC prevailed 2-1. The next game was an easy win over an overmatched Bryan Station team and then the team lost three straight games. One was a complete debacle that LexCath capitalized on with a district win, the score being 6-2. The other two losses were at the hand of the Huntington Invitational tournament, where Sacred Heart got revenge and pounded the Generals with 8 goals in a 8-1 win and the other loss was to a beatable McDonogh team from Pennsylvania. The next few games were against good opponents and some had district seeds on the line. They would lose to Oldham County in a tough game, but they would win the other two district games to give them the in-road to a #2 seed. They defeated Dunbar 1-0 and defeated West, 3-1. The Mighty Reds would then lose another couple games to beatable oppponents. They dropped a game to Tates Creek 1-2, and then lost to Woodford 0-2 in the Showcase event. The tough times would end the regular season with a 1-1 tie against Bourbon County. All in all, the record was disappointing and the season had been a struggle with many challenges. The post season had arrived and the questions about the team were everywhere. The team was able to pull it together for another post-season run just like previous years. They would win the first game against West, with a tough 2-1 score. They would lose to LexCath in the District championship 0-3, but had managed to get to the Region Tournament for the 3rd straight year. The Region tournament would be display of the teams potential and provide the what-ifs of the season. They first played a very determined Model team that would not quit. After trailing 0-2 in the first hald the Lady Generals managed to take the lead late in the 2nd half. They would trade goals with Model and end up tied in regulation. In overtime, a gutsy and motivated player would put the Generals ahead for good and they would end up winning 5-4. The game was a long one and drained the players of their energy but might have invigorated the team with some confidence. The Region finals were once again against a familiar foe. To shake the bad season and prove their talented team could previal, they had to eliminate the Knights of LexCath. The game was a wonderful display of talent, experience and pure heart. The Generals took an early lead with a first half goal. That goal would stand as the difference most of the game. But with 3 minutes left in the game, the Knights broke the vault and put one in. The goal would break the Generals hope and lead to an exhausted overtime between two teams with different destiny's. In the second overtime, LexCath scored again and it was too much for the Lady Generals to overcome. They had expelled all of their energy, focus, skill and hope on the past game and half of soccer. The emotion, frustration, what-ifs and prayers of a rough season came to an end with a 1-2 loss at the hand of district nemesis, LexCath. The Knights would go on to become State Runner up to Highlands, while the Reds of Reed Lane would end a season that should have been more. The program would see some of its most talented players graduate with an ungranted wish for a State title. I wish it could have been different, because it shouldnt have ended this way. These seniors lost focus on what made them successful and ended a chapter in the program's history that should have last a few weeks longer.
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