Hopkinsville shook off a slow start to beat Madisonville 5-0 and claim their third region soccer title in four seasons Thursday at the Stadium of Champions.
Ethan Noel had two goals and two assists, while Caleb Joiner added two goals and an assist. Junior Ryan Roussel chipped in with a goal of his own and added a pair of helpers.
The Tigers were a bit flat to start the contest, coming off an emotional win over Henderson County in a semifinal matchup that was decided by penalty kicks. However, strong defensive play by a Hoptown defensive unit that has allowed just six goals during a nine-game winning streak kept Madisonville off the board until the offense could find their way.
Roussel scored five minutes in off a pass from Noel to get Hoptown (19-4-1) on the board first but they didn’t score again until four minutes before halftime when Noel punched in a pass from Joiner.
With a bit of a cushion, the Tiger offense flowed better in the second half as Joiner scored his first goal of the night two minutes into the second half. Noel and Joiner added the remaining goals for the Tigers.
Hopkinsville’s region title is their third in four years and eighth since 2000. They will host Fourth Region champion Warren Central Monday at 7pm at the Stadium of Champions. The Dragons beat Hoptown 3-0 back on Sept. 9 that began a stretch that saw the Tiger drop three games against ranked opponents in a 12-day stretch.
Warren Central (21-1) has won eight straight games dating back to their only loss, which came against Henderson County.
