Lady Devils Dominate 16th Region Tournament
James Collier
Ashland Beacon
Russell left no question who the best team in the area and one of the top teams in the state is after clinching the 16th Region Championship with an 8-2 win over Ashland in the title game following a 6-0 blanking of West Carter in the semis.
Alyssa Truett, Eva Blanke and Emma Stamper tallied a pair of goals each in the championship win over the LadyCats. Kaelyn Howard and Sophia Bagby added a goal each. Stamper assisted on a pair of goals.
Stamper tallied a first half hat trick in the win over West Carter. Bagby, Macy Vonderheide and Blanke each netted a goal. Blanke had a pair of assists and Ava Quinn added another.
Russell welcomed 15th Region Champion Prestonsburg Monday night in the opening round of the Girls State Tournament.
ASHLAND 17-5
Ashland picked up wins over Fleming County and East Carter in the 16th Region Tournament before falling to Russell in the championship.
Ashland dropped Fleming County 8-0 in the opening round. Milei Baker had four goals and an assist. Abby Baldwin added two goals. Kenleigh Woods netted a goal with a pair of assists. Meisha Salisbury had a goal and an assist. Mallorie Caudill had a pair of saves in the shutout.
Ashland trailed much of the contest against East Carter in the semifinals but an Emma Vanhorn goal in the 72 minute evened the game at 1-1 which would eventually move to overtime. Neither team found the net in the first golden goal period, but the Lady Cats turned an Abby Baldwin corner kick in the final 90 seconds of the second extra period into a Milei Baker stick back for a 2-1 win. Caudill had nine saves in goal including a stand to end the first half that saw the Raiders launch five shots in the final minutes toward the goal.
Baldwin and Woods accounted for the two goals in the championship game against Russell.
Ashland finished its season at 17-5.