Girls Soccer finished up their season on October 12th in a heavyweight battle with the Noblesville Millers. They lost 1-0 in the Sectional 8 Championship Game.
Hamilton Southeastern entering sectional play was 13-0-3, with a win against Mt. Vernon most recently on 10/2. In the sectional draw, their first matchup was against rival Fishers.
Fishers is a solid team, led by Butler commit Elise May, who has 12 goals in 15 matches heading into Game 1.
“Getting Fishers in the first round of Sectionals created a very exciting energy amongst the team. We were motivated to beat them not only to move forward in Sectionals but to prove we should have beaten them originally.” Senior Abby Straus said.
The Royals were not feeling the nerves this time around against the Tigers, as they put 5 in the back of the net against Taylor commit Sarah Maudlin, who held them to just one goal in the Mudsock Game. The final score was 5-0 in favor of the Royals.
Moving on to the Sectional 8 Semifinal match, the Royals looked ahead to another former foe. The Pendleton Arabians, whom HSE had previously beaten by a score of 6-0, looked to get their get back in this weeks matchup.
Once again, the Arabians were no match for HSE, as they took them down 4-0 to advance to the Sectional 8 Championship. The Royals were able to score three times in the first half, allowing the Royals to rest their starters for a battle coming up against the Noblesville Millers.
“We were not nervous for Pendleton at all. I think our confidence carried over from yesterday because we did not want to lose what we had going.” Junior Lauren Kutoloski commented.
At last, the biggest game of the year for the Royals. A duel against #1 and #2 in the state. #1 Hamilton Southeastern against #2 Noblesville for the Sectional 8 Championship.
The match started out slow, with only one shot on goal by both teams through 20 minutes of play. By halftime, those numbers had stayed the same, and we were all tied at the half. The second half was when play picked up. 10 shots on goal in the second half combined for both teams, however, only one made it to the back of the net. With less than 15 minutes left, a deflection allowed senior forward Kaydence Fleck to power one home for the Millers.
The Royals would drop their 1st game of the season in a heartbreaking defeat against the Noblesville Millers, ending their hopes at a state championship and their season.
The Royals finish up their 2024 campaign with a impressive 15-1-3 record, finishing 4th in the national rankings.
