Bethlehem had a rich history in Girls Soccer success since 2015 and with four straight Region titles and two trips to the KHSAA Final Four were just window dressing for the Blue and Gold. That was the 2015-to-2018 Banshees of Abigail Proctor and Maddie Sparks. The recent group had just as much success and had won as many games not to mention setting team records.
They had everything but one small item to mark off their bucket list: A 5th Region Championship. With the expiration date on the current team coming up fast, a group composed of six talented seniors, who were still chasing that elusive trophy, it looked like that might still be in the rear-view mirror. Yes. The 2023 team was very talented and carried the scars from their three straight previous Region Tourney losses, the most recent was a tough defeat to Elizabethtown @ John Hardin.
The 2023 season came quick and fast and coach Scott Deopere knew the time was now after taking over the team in 2022. Once again, the Banshees were loaded with Top Twenty competition to prepare them for the Tournament and after scratching and clawing their way to 13-4-2 record going into the District Tourney (outscoring their opponents Thomas Nelson and Bardstown 16-1), The Banshees prepared for the Region Tournament at Marion County high school. The same 5th Region Tournament which had been a house of Horrors for Bethlehem the past four years.
No matter how good the Banshees were during the regular season, no matter how many games they won or district titles they captured, something bad always seem to happen to this group, whether it was Panter’s penalty kick or the Blincoe Bomb in 2021, it was always something. Still, maybe this group would be different. Maybe they could pull it off following in the footsteps of the 4-straight Region Champ Banshees and exorcise those demons. After beating Central Hardin in the semi-finals (4-0), the Banshees and coach Deopere were about to come face to face with their worst nightmare from the past year.
Elizabethtown got a quick facelift with the return of former coach Rob Zoeller and calculated offense and smothering defense. In three previous meetings against the Lady Panthers, the Banshees were outscored 4-0 and were 0-forever shooting in close. With the Championship game scheduled at 7:00 Wednesday, Deopere knew that Bethlehem’s best chance to swing an upset of the powerful Lady Panthers hung on finding a way to hold Elizabethtown scoreless and possibly steal a goal somehow.
In front of a boisterous crowd, the two teams took the field and the Banshees were about to find something about themselves quickly as the worst possible thing that could happen did as senior Adelyn Inman raced past the Banshee defense after the opening kick and scored not even 20-seconds into the game. The crowd didn’t even have time to settle into their lawn seats before the scoreboard keeper suddenly had to work. Banshee teams in the past simply would have struggled against this setback.
This team was about to find out what kind of character it had and quickly. Carlie Thurmond, who recently set the team record for most goals scored had also been held scoreless against the Lady Panthers in their last three meetings had been consistently frustrated attacking the Elizabethtown defense. Still, she and the team did have several opportunities but simply were unable to capitalize including their last meeting early in the season when they had several runouts but shot blanks. Once again, the Banshee forwards were getting chances early after Inman’s score, but couldn’t hit the back of the net. Thurmond finally took things into her own hands. With 19:30 left in the first half, Thurmond saw a seam running down the left sideline and took her shot. The ball slipped by Goalkeeper Marissa Bates and the score was tied at 1-1.
While the Banshees celebrated their good fortune, they weren’t finished yet. Seven minutes later, Thurmond came thundering down the left sideline again and when she was hemmed in, shot a pass to Ashlyn Miles, who toed the ball in the right corner of the net for a 2-1 lead. It may have been the Banshee’s first lead against the Lady Panthers in nearly three years, but the mental effect may have been more important as they were able to overcome a huge hurdle with two goals within seven minutes erasing the Lady Panthers lead.
Now came the hard part as the Banshees chose to drop back and play the equivalent of a Cover Two Defense letting their defense protect the lead. It was quite a display as Hallie Hurst, Kensey Clayton and Khloe Young kept the Elizabethtown attackers in check for the last 40-minutes of the second half. One key was the ability to control Inman, who is so dangerous not only in the open field, but what she does on set pieces. Still, they would have a few chances. One of the biggest came with about ten minutes remaining, but a right cross just barely missed slipping inside the net as Goalkeeper Gracie Zutterman held her breath and made several big saves as the Banshees finally ran out the clock.
As Bethlehem celebrated their first 5th Region title in four seasons (the last in 2018), Coach Deopere gave credit to the Lady Panthers and their marvelous run. Zoeller has plenty of young talent coming back and will be a threat for years to come. For the Banshees, the future is now.
After so many disappointments, group of talented seniors (known as the Six-Pack) finally fulfilled their destiny and helped define their legacy as well. Maybe other teams have delt with as many disappointments or frustrations in the past, but this one finally figured it out and will now prepare for game action late in October in the Sweet Sixteen of the KHSAA playoffs. For a team and a group of girls, many who have gotten use to success in another sport (basketball), now can enjoy their last season (six are seniors) in their primary sport and hopefully like what happened on a cold night in Marion County can not only surprise the 5th Region competition, but themselves as well.
