In 2017, Coach Eric Jacobs enters his second season with the Caldwell County Lady Tigers soccer team. Jacobs’ had a solid first season with the program, posting a 13-10-1 record, including a 9-5 region record and a perfect 5-0 district mark. The Lady Tigers banged in 90 goals and allowed 70 in route to their first 7th District championship since the district realignment in 2012. The 2011 season was the last time Caldwell captured the district trophy, when it was still the 4th District and included Trigg County, Lyon County, Crittenden County and Dawson Springs. Caldwell’s 2017 campaign ended with a 3-1 regional quarterfinal loss Hopkinsville, a battle pitting two teams of Lady Tigers.
Caldwell graduated four seniors, including 4th leading scorer Makenna Crowley, who posted 8 goals and an assist. Also, prolific finisher, junior Zaria Blount has moved away. Blount, a 1st team All 2nd Region selection, paced the team with 35 goals as a sophomore. Nine starters return, including two players listed among the top 20 state assist leaders, senior midfielders MacKenzie Smiley (14 goals and 18 assists) and 2nd team All 2nd Region member Taely Freeman. Freeman led the team in assists with 19 and added 13 goals. Rounding out the standout returnees are sophomore Lucy Goffinet (2 goals, 3 assists), junior midfielder Laney Fletcher and senior goalkeeper Dru Hadley Thomas, who recorded 7 shutouts last season. Freeman, Smiley, Thomas, Fletcher and sophomore Bella McConnell are all returning 2016 All 7th District selections.
Coach Jacobs is also expecting an impact from some of his younger players. On the defensive side, freshmen Kelsie Adams and Hannah Young will contribute. While offensively, Jacobs expects freshmen Kaylee McEnaney, Morgan McDaniels and sophomore Becca Seibert to “give a shot of energy” to an already strong group of midfielders and forwards.
Coach Jacobs says he’s been pleased with the team’s preseason form in comparison to the same time last season. He’s been pleasantly surprised with the development of the link up and combination play that he began to see at the camp they attended at Murray State University. Jacobs says losing in the first round of the regional tournament last season has pushed him and his team to challenge themselves in ways they didn’t in 2016. As a unit, they feel they came up short, and that’s, “something we don’t want to repeat two years in a row.” Coach Jacobs also feels that a beefed up schedule is something that will help prepare them to defend their district championship against what will no doubt be a “hungry” Madisonville North Hopkins team.
The Lady Tigers scrimmage Marshall County on August 3rd and Todd County Central on August 8, before opening the season August 14th at the Recreational Complex against traditional foe, Trigg County. Caldwell beat the Lady Wildcats 4-0 at Butler Stadium to open last season, adding another win to the lopsided, neighborly rivalry. The Lady Tigers have never lost to Trigg County in their history. A 1-1 tie in 2012 is the closest Caldwell has come to slipping up against the Lady Wildcats. Caldwell begins their All “A” efforts on August 19th against UHA in the friendly, rock-walled surroundings of Butler Stadium. Caldwell joins the Hopkinsville Lady Tigers in traveling to the 4th Region’s Warren Central High School on September 23rd for the Lady Dragons Lair Classic. The tournament will give Coach Jacobs a chance to measure where his team stands against traditional powers Greenwood High School and John Hardin High School, from the 4th and 5th Regions, respectively.