LEXINGTON, Ky. – Turns out defense not only wins championships but also scores championship-winning goals.
The anchor of Sacred Heart’s record-setting defense this season, senior Claire Fell headed in a corner kick by Sarah Buse in the 72nd minute to lift the Valkyries to a 1-0 victory over Lexington Catholic on Saturday in the championship match of the state tournament at Paul Dunbar.
“We were all crashing in, and I felt the ball hit my head,” said Fell, who has committed to Villanova and was named the state tournament’s MVP. “I think it ricocheted off the goalkeeper a little bit. All I remember is it going in the back of the net, and I was freaking out. I was so ecstatic.”
Sacred Heart held on the rest of the way to record its fifth state title – second-most in state history behind South Oldham’s seven – and first since 2009.
Third-year Valkyries coach Jaclyn Puntillo admitted feeling some pressure to win a championship after watching her team lose to Notre Dame in the 2013 final and to Owensboro Catholic in last year’s semifinals.
“I’m convinced I have the best high school coaching job in the country probably, definitely in the state,” Puntillo said. “I got no less than a hundred emails, texts, messages from former players, parents of former players. … I have so much support, and I have some amazing kids.
“Even though there’s pressure sometimes, I love my job so much.”
Ranked No. 1 in the state the majority of the season, the Valkyries finished 22-4-1 and set a pair of single-season state records along the way.
Their 22 shutouts broke the previous mark of 20 recorded in consecutive seasons (2005-06) by Highlands. And their 12 consecutive shutouts to finish the season broke the previous mark of 11 set by South Oldham in 2001.
The Valkyries didn’t allow a goal in the final seven weeks of the season after a 2-1 loss to Assumption on Sept. 27.
“It’s a history-making defense, and they were awesome,” Puntillo said. “We have three seniors on that back line. It’s going to be very difficult to achieve that again, so I’m going to enjoy it while I had it.”
Sacred Heart outshot Lexington Catholic 14-11, but the Valkyries were tested on several occasions.
The No. 8-ranked Lady Knights (24-3-2) had their best chance in the 63rd minute, when Kennedy Tranter’s long shot from the right side hit off the crossbar. Alana Hughes was in perfect position to knock in the rebound but couldn’t get her feet set, and the Valkyries cleared the ball away.
Nine minutes later Sacred Heart got the goal it needed. From the left side Buse sent a corner kick into the penalty box, where Fell was waiting to put away her fifth goal of the season.
“We work on corners and hitting the ball in the right spot, and I feel like I did that with the help of my team,” Buse said. “I believed in us because we all just wanted it so badly.”
The goal was more than enough for a defense led by senior backs Fell, Shelby Sisler and Rosie Taylor, junior back Erin Herbert and junior goalkeeper Sarah Stodghill.
Puntillo said experience was the main difference in this Sacred Heart team and the ones from the past two years.
“I think Notre Dame was just better than us two years ago … and last year we had the talent but didn’t have the chemistry,” Puntillo said. “I tried not to think about it during the season, but it’s a lot of pressure to be No. 1 on the first day of the season and maintain that and be No. 1 on the last day of the season. We did it.”
* All-tournament team: Claire Fell (MVP), Sarah Stodghill, Kiley Polk (Sacred Heart); Kennedy Tranter, Olivia Williams, Alana Hughes (Lexington Catholic); Sarah Riney, Grace Wright (Owensboro Catholic); Jordan Cross, Haley Nelson (Bethlehem); Sarah Schuh (Notre Dame); Maddie Griggs (Henderson County); Emily Moore (Rowan County); Nikki Wells (Corbin).
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.