LEXINGTON — A showdown for a state-title berth between Kentucky’s top two teams was one-sided — at least on the scoreboard.
Second-ranked Sacred Heart prevailed over third-ranked Notre Dame, 3-1, on Thursday night at Lafayette High School to reach the championship game of the girls state soccer tournament.
The Valkyries (20-2-3) will play Bethlehem, a 3-0 winner over Boyle County earlier Thursday, in the final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
A sliding strike by Lilly Lund in the 37th minute gave Sacred Heart at 1-0 halftime edge. Lund doubled the score in the 45th minute after a couple of ricochets in the box found her sure-placed foot.
Lund figured in Sacred Heart’s third goal just four minutes later; the Valkyries’ first corner kick of the game found her head, which put the ball in position for Mia Lancaster to punch through a grounder.
Riley Robertson got Notre Dame on the board with a shot from about 20 yards in the 53rd minute. A flurry of attacks down the stretch failed to result in additional goals for the Pandas, but their effort was much stronger than the final score showed.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA soccer: Sacred Heart tops Notre Dame, earns spot in title match
