Franklinton’s Kennedy Hughes scored two goals and the Lady Demons’ defense was strong throughout in a 5-1 victory over Covington at home Tuesday.
“It’s probably one of the best years we’ve had,” Hughes said, about the team’s defense. “Basically, we have our stopper, who’s our front defense, Brianna Bryant. She’s one of the taller girls on the team. She’s fast and she’s hard working. Sydney Ignacek is our back defense. She’s what we call our sweeper. Basically, anything that gets past our front defense, she’s there to kind of like sweep it out of the way, that way, our goalie doesn’t have to do too too much work and she’s been outstanding this year also.”
Except for allowing seven goals to Woodlawn of Baton Rouge on Nov. 30, the Lady Demons have allowed one goal in every contest except one, which was a shutout.
“Defense has played really well,” Franklinton coach Drew Brooks said. “Sydney Ignacek moved positions. She’s been a midfielder the last three years. She’s moved back to sweeper and done a great job for us. We’re 7-1 and a big part of that success is because of her, but the whole defense played well like they have been.”
Franklinton led 2-0 at halftime.
The Lady Demons scored on an own goal off of a corner kick during the 14th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
Kassidy Nielson made it a 2-0 game in the 33rd minute when she kicked into the middle of the net.
It stayed that way until through halftime, but it did not take the Lady Demons long to get on the board in the second half.
Hughes took a pass from Nielson and scored her first goal of the match on a header just four minutes into the period to give her team a 3-0 lead.
“(Nielson) crossed it in and it happened to go in the air hard enough to where I could get the timing, and I swear, it was like the stars aligned and I got my forehead perfectly on it and it went in the goal,” Hughes said.
Hughes scored the Lady Demons’ next goal just three minutes later. A ball going toward a Covington player took a tough bounce. Hughes got possession of the ball and scored for a 4-0 lead.
Covington broke up the shutout in the 22nd minute of the second half when Emma Rice tallied a goal to make it 4-1.
Emily Knight scored Franklinton’s last goal that was in the 40th minute for the 5-1 final.